ORPHEUS BRITANNICUS

We the Spirits of the Air

FROM

The Indian Queen, 1695 Z630/17a

COMPOSD

By Mr. Henry Purcell

FOR

Two Sopranos
AND

A THROUGH-BASS
Copyright William F. Long, MMIX

"We the Spirits of the Air" from Orpheus Britannicus

John Dryden and Sir Robert Howard
Soprano 1

&4 4

#

of of the air

that

Henry Purcell

take take

Soprano 2

&4 4 ?4 4
4 & 4

We the

Spir - its

We the

Spir - its

Harpsichord

Continuo realized by W. F. Long

the

air

that

of

hu - mane things

&

#
of pi - ty now

of

hu - mane things

woes

& #
4

care; Out

?
9

& #

care; Out of

# n

pi - ty

#

now

de - scend, To fore - warn what

de - scend, To fore - warn what

#
woes

at - tend.

& &

Great-ness

clog'd with scorn de - cays,

Great-ness

. J . J

at - tend.

&

w w w

Great-ness

clog'd with scorn de - cays, with scorn de - cays,

clog'd with scorn de - cays, with the

w w w

w w w

w w w

W. F. Long, 2009 Reproduction for non-commercial purposes permitted.

2
14

&

slave

no

"We the Spirits of the Air"

Em-pire no,

no,

no, no,

no,

.
no

&
14

no

?
19

&

with the slave

w ww

w w w

Em-pire

no,

Cease to

. ..

no, no,

no,

Em - pire

J J

First Strain again.

stays.

no

Em - pire

stays.

First Strain again.

&

&
19

&

Cease to

lan - guish Cease to

lan - guish then

# # #
#
in in

vain,

since

ne - ver, ne- ver,

# #
##

lan - guish then

?
24

##

vain,

since

ne - ver, ne- ver,

& # & # # &

ne ne -

ver,

ne - ver,

ne

#
ver

w #
to be lov'd a

End with the rst Strain.

gain.

24

ver,

? w

ne - ver,

ne

ver

# #

#
to be lov'd a

gain.

End with the rst Strain.

"We the Spirits of the Air" comes from Purcell's semi-opera, The Indian Queen. It is on page 176 of BookII of Orpheus Britannicus. The score score has no bass gures.

"We the Spirits of the Air" from Orpheus Britannicus

John Dryden and Sir Robert Howard

? ?

?4 4

Henry Purcell

15

? ? ?w

First Strain again.

19

24

End with the rst Strain.

W. F. Long, 2009 Reproduction for non-commercial purposes permitted.