Ralph Vaughan Williams — Serenade to Music

[LORENZO] How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank! Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music Creep in our ears: soft stillness and the night Become the touches of sweet harmony Look, how the floor of heaven Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold: There's not the smallest orb that thou behold'st But in his motion like an angel sings Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins; Such harmony is in immortal souls; But, whilst this muddy vesture of decay Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it Come, ho! and wake Diana with a hymn: With sweetest touches pierce your mistress' ear And draw her home with music [JESSICA] I am never merry when I hear sweet music [LORENZO] The reason is, your spirits are attentive: The man that hath no music in himself Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet sounds Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils; The motions of his spirit are dull as night And his affections dark as Erebus: Let no such man be trusted... Music! hark! [NERISSA] It is your music of the house [PORTIA] Methinks it sounds much sweeter than by day [NERISSA] Silence bestows that virtue on it [PORTIA] How many things by season season'd are To their right praise and true perfection! Peace, ho! the moon sleeps with Endymion And would not be awak'd Soft stillness and the night Become the touches of sweet harmony


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