060
Handel - Ode to St Cecilia 1739
Final Chorus
As from the pow’r of sacred lays
The spheres began to move,
And sung the great Creator’s praise
To all the bless’d above;
So when the last and dreadful hour
This crumbling pageant shall devour,
The trumpet shall be heard on high,
The dead shall live, the living die,
And music shall untune the sky.
Dryden's poetry praises St Cecilia, the patron saint of music, musicians, and organs. From about the 17th century, 22 November has been celebrated as her birthday. Many composers down the ages have written music for performance on this date. Benjamin Britten was, by chance, born on 22 November.