Fairest Isle, All Isles Excelling...Henry Purcell, John Dryden

Fairest Isle, all isles excelling,
Seat of pleasure and of love,
Venus here will choose her dwelling,
And forsake her Cyprian grove.
Cupid from his fav'rite nation
Care and envy will remove...

Music inspired by legends - to take our minds off the reality of General Election campaigns, the exchange rate - and this week's tragic events - if only for a few short minutes:

YouTube - From "King Arthur" (libretto by John Dryden), Gill Ross, soprano, English Baroque Soloists


Enter Venus.

VENUS

Fairest isle, all isles excelling,
Seat of pleasure and of love;
Venus here will choose her dwelling,
And forsake her Cyprian grove.
Cupid from his fav'rite nation,
Care and envy will remove;
Jealousy that poisons passion,
And despair that dies for love.
Gentle murmurs, sweet complaining,
Sighs that blow the fire of love;
Soft repulses, kind disdaining,
Shall be all the pains you prove.
Ev'ry swain shall pay his duty,
Grateful ev'ry nymph shall prove;
And as these excel in beauty,
Those shall be renown'd for love.

Libretto - KING ARTHUR or THE BRITISH WORTHY - Semi opera in five acts, John Dryden