Alcuni catches (canoni) a 3 e a 4 voci di Henry Purcell (10 settembre 1659 - 1695) interpretati da Alfred Deller con il suo Consort.
 

Come, let us drink,
’Tis in vain to think
Like fools on grief or sadness:
Let our money fly,
And our sorrows dye,
All worldly care is madness.

But wine and good cheer
Will in spight of our fear
Inspire our hearts with mirth, boys;
The time we live
To wine let us give,
Since all must turn to Earth, boys.

Hand about the bowl
The delight of my soul,
And to my hand commend it;
A fig for chink
’Twas made to buy drink,
And before we go hence we’ll spend it.

---

Prithee hen’t so sad and serious,
Nothing’s got by grief or cares;
Melancholy’s too imperious,
When it comes, still domineers.

But if bus’ness, love or sorrow
That possesses thus thy mind,
Bid ’em come again tomorrow,
We are now to mirth inclin’d.

Let the glass run its round
And each good fellow keep his ground,
And if there be any flincher found
We’ll have his soul new coin’d.

---

I gave her cakes and I gave her ale,
I gave her sack and sherry;
I kiss’d her once and I kiss’d her twice,
And we were wondrous merry.

I gave her beads and bracelets fine,
I gave her dold down-derry;
I thought she was a-fear’d till she strok’d my beard,
And we were wondrous merry.

Merry my heart, merry my cocks,
Merry my sprites, hey down-derry;
I kiss’d her once and I kiss’d her twice,
And we were wondrous merry.

---

’Tis women makes us love,
’Tis love that makes us sad,
’Tis sadness makes us drink,
And drinking makes us mad.

Segnalo che anche Enzo Martinelli ha voluto ricordare Henry Purcell nel suo genetliaco 🙂