Hark Hark the Lark (mp3 Sample)

Cymbeline, Act II, Scene 3

Lyrics

Hark, hark! the lark at heaven's gate sings,

And Phoebus 'gins arise,

His steeds to water at those springs

On chaliced flowers that lies;

And winking Mary-buds begin

To ope their golden eyes:

With every thing that pretty is,

My lady sweet, arise:

Arise, arise.

About the Song

Perhaps Shakespeare's most ineffectual wooer is Cloten, the dunce prince in Cymbeline who hopes to marry his stepsister Imogen and become king. He commissions a passel of musicians to sing outside the princess' window - to disastrous effect.

Written for the first-ever Shakespeare at Winedale production of Cymbeline, our version showcases a simple, melodic harmony - which is utterly destroyed by a second-stanza falsetto attack that we can only imagine was Cloten's idea.

Track Info

Lyrics by William Shakespeare.

Music by Jon Watson, Ben Wilcott, and Joe Jordan.

Arranged by Dog Legs & Feet.

Musicians: