Talk:Blest pair of Sirens (Charles Hubert Hastings Parry)

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I have sung "Blest pair of Sirens" several times and it has always been from a double choir, SATB+SATB, version, which I don't have here. This is a useful reduction, but it should be explained that it is a reduction from what Parry wrote.

The keyboard part as given is for piano, not organ. I think that should be stated as well. You would need a thoroughly proficient organist to play from this version - or indeed from any version, as Parry intended it to be sung with orchestra. ("Accompanied by orchestra" is understating the importance of that part, IMO).

Apologies, JHF, for being critical/pedantic again!

Alan Knight

In the editions I've seen in paper and online, Parry seems to have changed Milton's text very slightly, from "to his celestial consort" to "to his celestial concert".

LesleyP (talk) 16:49, 18 April 2015 (UTC)

Differences with respect to the Novello edition (IMSLP #107412)

Soprano I, bar 70 – 71: the only note across the barline is Gb in the Novello edition, not Eb.

Soprano II, bar 45: the second note is A natural in the Novello edition, not A(b).

Soprano II, bar 102 – 104: the last note of bar 102 and the only note across bar 103 – 104 are F(#) and A in the novello edition, respectively, rather than A and C.

Alto I, bar 35: the first note is a half note, E(b), in this edition, while it is a quarter rest followed by an E(b) crotchet in the Novello edition.

Alto I, bar 75: all notes are G in the Novello edition, not B.

Alto I, bar 88: the second note is C in the Novello edition, not E.

Alto I, bar 100 – 101 and 252 – 253: notes are completely different in the Novello edition.

Alto II, bar 36 and 38: notes are completely different in the Novello edition.

Alto II, bar 57: note durations are different in the Novello edition.

Tenor I, bar 41 – 42: the note across the barline is F in the Novello edition, not D.

Tenor I, bar 101: the last note is A in the Novello edition, not F(#).

Tenor I, bar 114: the only note is D in the Novello edition, not B.

Tenor II, bar 245: the last note is G in the Novello edition, not A.

Bass I, bar 61: all notes are F in the Novello edition, not D.

Bass I, bar 111: the second note is G natural in the Novello edition, not G#.

Bass I, bar 210 – 211: the only note across the barline is G in the Novello edition, not E(b).

Bass II, bar 42: the first note is F in the Novello edition, not G.


Training aids on the Choralia website have been corrected according to above list. Max a.k.a. Choralia (talk) 14:39, 1 July 2018 (UTC)


Would someone be able to condense to 4 staves as much as possible? Seth Engel (talk) 21:29, 14 July 2023 (UTC)