Budmouth Dears

 

 

Poet: Thomas Hardy

Date of poem: (undated)

Publication date: First published in The Dynasts, Part Third 1908. (Purdy, 131)
Later it was included in Selected Poems of 1916. (Purdy, 187)

Publisher: Macmillan Publishing Company

Collection: From The Dynasts and also published in Selected Poems of 1916.

History of Poem: The poem is extracted from the larger Hardy work entitled: The Dynasts. The Dynasts is an extremely large work and the particular section in which the poem resides is: Part Third, II, i. The poem was also published separately as: “Hussar’s Song: ‘Budmouth Dears’ in Selected Poems." (Bailey, 634) Hardy also made a contribution of the poem for a souvenir program in 1915 for the Portland Garrison Gala Performance. The performance was to aid the Royal Weymouth Hospital. After the performance the poem was subsequently commented on in the Dorset County Chronicle on February 27, 1908. (Wright, 154)

The poem was also set to music by Boynton Smith, Martin Shaw as well as Gerald Finzi. Boynton Smith included his musical setting of the poem in a production entitled: The Trumpet-Major. The Trumpet-Major was performed by the Dorchester Debating and Dramatic Society in 1912. Martin Shaw published his musical setting with J. Curwen and Sons in both London and Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1927. (Bailey, 634)

For additional commentary as to the history of the poem please refer to: History - Denning. Background - Van der Watt, and Setting - Carlisle.

Poem

(Hussar's Song)
1 When we lay where Budmouth Beach is, a
2 O, the girls were fresh as peaches, a
3 With their tall and tossing figures and their eyes of blue and brown! b
4 And our hearts would ache with longing c
5 As we paced from our sing-songing, c
6 With a smart Clink! Clink! up the Esplanade and down. b
 
7 They distracted and delayed us d
8 By the pleasant pranks they played us, d
9 And what marvel, then, if troopers, even of regiments of renown, b
10 On whom flashed those eyes divine, O, e
11 Should forget the countersign, O, e
12 As we tore Clink! Clink! back to camp above the town. b
 
13 Do they miss us much, I wonder, f
14 Now that war has swept us sunder, f
15 And we roam from where the faces smile to where the faces frown? b
16 And no more behold the features g
17 Of the fair fantastic creatures, g
18 And no more Clink! Clink! past the parlours of the town? b
 
19 Shall we once again there meet them? h
20 Falter fond attempts to greet them? h
21 Will the gay sling-jacket glow again beside the muslin gown? – b
22 Will they archly quiz and con us i
23 With a sideway glance upon us, i
24 While our spurs Clink! Clink! up the Esplanade and down? b
(Hardy, 939)

Content/Meaning of the Poem:

The poem begins by recounting the adventures while stationed in Budmouth. It tells of how nice it was to have pretty girls to admire while performing drills.

The second stanza gives us a glimpse that the girls were so beautiful as to drive the soldiers to distraction even to the point that they would forget secret signs.

The third stanza displays a pessimistic tone. Here the speaker (the sergeant) asks the question as to whether or not they will be missed now that they have left Budmouth. He also gives clues that where he is now is not a place of joy but of pain and anguish. The sergeant ends the third stanza by stating he can no longer show-off for the girls as he would have before.

The last stanza is one of pondering. Here the speaker asks several questions as to the possibility of once again meeting and interacting with the Budmouth girls. The speaker is reminded of situations in which he flirted and the girls toyed with himself and his colleagues. The stanza ends with the now common onomatopoeia of "Clink! Clink!"

Speaker: Sergeant Young (Wright, 154)

Setting: The scene breakdown for The Dynasts states the location of the "Hussar's Song" as the Plain of Vitoria.

Sarah Bird Wright made the following comments as to the setting for Budmouth Dears: "Napoleon has mounted a Spanish campaign, and the English army, along with their Spanish and Portuguese allies, camp on the plain near Vitoria. On the eve of battle, troop-officers discuss their plans. The regiment known as the King's Hussars reminisce about Wessex, especially Budmouth-Regis (Weymouth) when King George III was in residence. Sergeant Young sings a song their bandmaster wrote, which he used to conduct in front of Gloucester Lodge at the King's Mess every afternoon. The verses recall the girls who once tempted the troops as they paced up and down Budmouth Beach."
(Wright, 154)

For additional commentary about the poem and its setting please refer to: Setting

Purpose: To lift the spirits of fellow comrades while surviving in the battlefield.

Idea or theme: Reminiscing about girls and whether or not they, the soldiers will be missed. Perhaps even more grave, will the soldiers have a chance to see the young girls again.

Style: Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt writes: "The poem is much in the style of a marching song, with lyrical and ballad-like aspects."
(Van der Watt, 97)

Form: Van der Watt, in his dissertation describes the form in the following manner: "The poem consists of four sestets with lines of uneven length. (the third line is almost double the length of the others.) The final line of each stanza contains the onomatopoeic, "Clink! Clink! which causes the line to have refrain-like tendencies. The rhyme scheme is an interesting mixture of paired and rounded rhyme with the -own- sound returning twice in every stanza (l. 3 brown, l. 6 down, l. 9 renown, l. 12 town, l. 15 frown, l. 18 town, l. 21 gown, l. 24 down): aabccb ddbeeb ffbggb hhbiib. The most prevalent metric type is trochaic, there are, however, many variations of which the spondeeic examples, in the final line of each stanza, are the most prominent."
(Van der Watt, 97)

Synthesis: The poem is a reminiscence for the young sergeant and whether or not the poem is used to lift the spirits of his comrades or simply a device to amuse himself remains to be seen. Hardy displays his stereotypical pessimism in the last two stanzas where one is left with the question of whether or not the young men will return from battle or for that matter have an opportunity to visit the girls once again. One can also see in the first two stanzas how Hardy uses a device to catch the attention of the young men as well as the readers by titillating them with pretty young girls who enjoy teasing and toying with the young soldiers. Once Hardy has the audience he then reminds the soldiers of their grave duty while simultaneously pointing out to the reader that not all will return from war or battle.

Published comments about the poem: Sarah Bird Wright: "The four-stanza song is regarded as one of the most notable verses in The Dynasts. The last line of each stanza is a repetitive rhythmical refrain, which, with slight variations, suggests the military bearing of the young men, torn between the delights of the girls on the beach and their obligations as members of an elite regiment. They march at first "With a smart Clink! Clink! up the Esplanade and down"; in the second stanza the girls have "distracted and delayed" them "As we tore Clink! Clink! back to camp above the town!" In the third verse they reflect from Spain, sad that they are separated from them. Do the "fair fantastic creatures" miss them not there is" ... no more Clink! Clink! past the parlours of the town?" They wonder whether they shall, one day, march again and have the girls "archly quiz and con" them, "While our spurs Clink! Clink! up the Esplanade and down?""
(Wright, 154)

For additional commentary about the poem please refer to: Content and Synthesis.

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The Dynasts

"Harold Orel observes that the poem is longer than Hardy's shorter poems put together (there are more than 900). Many of his [Hardy's] friends were sorry that extensive labor on this work prevented his writing more novels."(Wright, 68)

"Hardy, regarded it [The Dynasts] as 'the greatest of all his literary achievements.'" (Wright, 68)

"The work begins in 1805, when Napoleon I proclaimed himself emperor of the French and king of Italy in [the] Milan Cathedral, and ends in 1815, when he recognized that the Battle of Waterloo had ended his ambition of establishing a pan-European dynasty." (Wright, 69)

"The drama has three levels of characters. First, there are peasants and ordinary people. Next there are actual historical figures, including members of Parliament, national rulers, and military leaders preoccupied with Napoleon's ambitious attempt to dominate Europe. (Wright, 68-9)

"Hardy, regarded it [The Dynasts] as 'the greatest of all his literary achievements.'" (Wright, 68)

"The work begins in 1805, when Napoleon I proclaimed himself emperor of the French and king of Italy in [the] Milan Cathedral, and ends in 1815, when he recognized that the Battle of Waterloo had ended his ambition of establishing a pan-European dynasty." (Wright, 69)

"The drama has three levels of characters. First, there are peasants and ordinary people. Next there are actual historical figures, including members of Parliament, national rulers, and military leaders preoccupied with Napoleon's ambitious attempt to dominate Europe. (Wright, 68-9)

"Because of its epic subject, immense number of characters, and vast canvas of land and sea, Marguerite Roberts terms it a work 'without parallel in poetry, at least in the twentieth century.'" (Wright,68)

"Hardy states that The Dynasts was intended only for 'mental performance' and not for the stage. Portions of it were, however, dramatized by the noted playwright and producer Harley Granville-Barker. His production opened at the Kingsway Theatre, London, on November 25, 1914. The production ran for 72 performances before closing in 1915. (Wright, 69)

"The Dynasts seems to many readers, at first, to be chaotic. We perceive the developing conflagration as though gazing through a camera lucida, at first making little sense of the sudden shifts in viewpoint, the incessant flux of ordinary crowds, titled rulers, servants, functionaries, couriers, priests, messengers, priests, messengers, princesses, attendants, soldiers, and sailors. The settings shuttle among dockyards, palaces, boudoirs, mountains, valleys, gardens, banquet rooms, camps, and battlefields." (Wright, 73)

"Hardy presents the entire conflict from multiple points of view (both geographic and chronological). He sees the conflict as taking place within a microcosm, arguing implicitly that battles among earthly nations, while inevitable, are to some extent insignificant. This is not to suggest that he wishes Napoleon had conquered England. He does, however, regret the misery and torment caused by the conflict. He is tortured by the pathos of the unknowing victims, as when, at Waterloo, the hedgehog's household is unsealed and the mole's tunnels crushed by wheels. Such suffering is not mitigated, for him by the victory at Waterloo. He deplored war, including the Boer War and World War I."(Wright, 73)

Gerald Finzi set the following poems within this collection:

  • Budmouth Dears ( A Young Man's Exhortation)

Additional Sources:

Dean, Susan. Hardy's Poetic Vision in "The Dynasts": The Diorama of a Dream. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1977.

Maynard, Katherine Kearney. Thomas Hardy's Tragic Poetry: The Lyrics and "The Dynasts." Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1991.

Orel, Harold. The Dynasts. London: Macmillan, 1978.

Orel, Harold. "The Dynasts on the English Stage, 1908-1919." Thomas Hardy Journal, 8, no. 1 (Feb. 1992): 63-70.

Orel, Harold. Thomas Hardy's Epic-Drama: A Study of "The Dynasts." Lawrence: University of Kansas Press, 1963.

Roberts, Marguerite. Hardy's Poetic Drama and the Theatre: "The Dynasts" and "The Famous Tragedy of the Queen of Cornwall." New York: Pageant, 1965.

Wain, John, ed. The Dynasts. London: Macmillan, 1965.

Wickens, C. Glen. Thomas Hardy, Monism, and the Carnival Tradition: The One and the Many in The Dynasts. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2002.

Wilson, "'Flower of Man's Intelligence': World and Overworld in The Dynasts." The Poetry of Thomas Hardy: A Commemorative Issue. Edited by Frank Giordano, Jr. Victorian Poetry 17, no. 1 (Spring-Summer, 1979): 124-33.

Wright, Walter F. The Shaping of "The Dynasts:" A Study in Thomas Hardy. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1967.

Helpful External Links:

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Musical Analysis

 

Composition date: 1929 (Banfield, 144)

Publication date: Copyright 1933 by Oxford University Press, London.
Copyright © assigned 1957 to Boosey & Co. Ltd. (Finzi, 140)

Publisher: Boosey & Hawkes - Distributed by Hal Leonard Corporation

Tonality: The original key is A major with sections of each verse in f sharp natural minor. Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, in his dissertation supplies a table in which he compiles possible reasons for switching the tonality back and forth in support of the text, to see this table as well as other comments about the tonality of the song please refer to: Tonality - Van der Watt.

Transposition: Currently unavailable.

Duration: Approximately one minute and thirty-four seconds.

Meter: Set primarily in 4/4 with five single measures of 5/4. The 5/4 meter is first introduced in the second measure of the piano introduction and then it reoccurs in the second measure of each verse thereafter. One possible reason for using the 5/4 is to give the impression of a soldier getting out of step possibly distracted by the Budmouth girls. For further discussion about the meter of the song please refer to: Metre - Van der Watt.

Tempo: Storming march - quarter note = c. 132 (Finzi, 140). For additional information about the tempi within the song please refer to: Speed - Van der Watt.

Form: The song is strophic but the accompaniment is varied which has an effect of disguising the strophic verses somewhat. An excellent description of the form of the song exists in a thesis written by Michael R. Bray. Bray's description speaks also of the different accompaniment that Finzi chooses to use to highlight the text as well as how Finzi handles Hardy's shifting time between the second and third stanza. To view this description and the other comments made by Dr. Bray please refer to: Structure - Bray. For additional information about the specific sections of the song and other information as to the form please refer to: Structure - Van der Watt.

Rhythm: The dotted eighth, sixteenth, followed by and eighth is a unifying rhythmic figure throughout the piece. Finzi uses it at the beginning of each of the first seven measures and continues to use it throughout the song either in the accompaniment or in the vocal line. This rhythmic motif is used eighteen times in total within the vocal line. It always occurs at the beginning of each verse and again after a triplet figure. The one exception can be found in the last verse where the motif is absent after the triplet figure. The absence of the figure in the last verse leads one to think Finzi wanted this verse to be more contemplative and to possibly give the listener the idea that the soldier had less snap in his step. An analysis of the vocal line found the most common rhythmic duration was that of an eighth note for a total of 154 occurrences. For further discussion about the rhythm and the rhythmic motifs of the song please refer to: Rhythm - Van der Watt. As was mentioned above a rhythmic duration analysis was performed and for the results please refer to: Rhythm Analysis. Information contained within the analysis includes: the number of occurrences a specific rhythmic duration was used; the phrase in which it occurred; the total number of occurrences in the entire song.

Melody: An interval analysis was performed for the purpose of discovering the number of occurrences specific intervals were used and also to see the similarities if there were any between stanzas. Only intervals larger than a major second were accounted for in the interval analysis. For a complete description of the results of the interval analysis please refer to: Interval Analysis. From the analysis it was noted that the melody is primarily stepwise with small leaps. The interval analysis concluded that the majority of the intervals are a third or smaller thus making larger intervals of a fourth to an octave more significant when used. The interval study also found that there was a larger use of ascending intervals than descending. In an interval study conducted by Van Der Watt, he concluded that the relationship of ascending intervals has the effect of building "emotional excitement" into the song. The large intervals accentuate the text and thereby single out text. In some strophic songs a large leap can be less dramatic when coupled with text that seems unworthy of such significance but in this song there are no such problems. For further discussion about the melody please refer to: Melody - Van der Watt.

Texture: For a brief description about the texture including a table outlining the types of texture and the percentage in which they were used please refer to: Texture - Van der Watt.

Vocal Range: The vocal range spans an interval of a minor thirteenth. The lowest pitch is the C sharp below middle C and the highest pitch is the A above middle C.

Tessitura: The song has a tessitura of one octave from the E below middle C to the E above middle C. A pitch analysis was performed for the purpose of accurately determining the tessitura and for the complete results please refer to: Pitch Analysis.

Dynamic Range: The dynamic range is from piano to fortissimo. The piano accompaniment is marked throughout with dynamics but the vocal line is not marked most of the time. Each verse begins softly for the piano accompaniment and one might assume that Finzi wanted the voice to mimic this dynamic as well as is generally the case. The vocal line is marked piano at the beginning of the third verse and mezzo-forte for the last verse. At the end of each verse the vocal line is asked to crescendo to forte for the climax on the text: down, town, town, and down, respectively. A Finzi comment made to his good friend and colleague, Howard Ferguson, leads one to think that when it came to marking the dynamics, Finzi thought this should be left unto the performer but Ferguson pointed out that it was the composer's responsibility to mark the music in order to recreate the aural idea conceived by the composer. Whether or not these comments from Finzi help explain the lack of marks for the singer we may never know but one can assume that when dynamic markings exist for the piano accompaniment they should be considered for the vocal line as well. For a discussion about dynamics including a table listing where each dynamic is indicated within each stanza please refer to: Dynamics - Van der Watt.

Accompaniment: The accompaniment possesses frequent staccato markings and in measures twenty-five through twenty-eight both staves of the accompaniment are notated in the bass clef. It should also be noted that due to low range in the piano accompaniment in measures twenty-five through twenty-eight that transposition of this song to a lower key may cause the accompaniment to have a "muddy" sound. For further discussion about the accompaniment please refer to: Accompaniment - Van der Watt.

Pedagogical Considerations for Voice Students and Instructors: The most difficult aspect of this song is the [A] above middle [C] at the end of each of the stanzas. This is not an easy note for younger tenors to sustain and therefore is not a song that should be assigned to them unless they have a very solid upper voice. There are no rests for breaths in any of the four stanzas, therefore good breath management will also be key in assuring success on the high note at the end of each stanza. As one prepares for the high note observe the declamation of the word "clink." This word in particular has the potential to use a lot of one's breath in its articulation. One way to circumvent this problem will be to make the word very short and not attempt to sustain. Also one may find it prudent to take a quick breath after the second "clink" in preparation for the high note. One should also observe the on-set for the text, "up." If this on-set is a hard glottal it may have the effect of making the voice heavy which of course may make sustaining the high note even more difficult. One possible solution to negating the hard glottal would be to insert an [h] in front of "up." If one's support is an issue for the high note insert a [b] in front of "up." This will have the effect of allowing a little back pressure to be present leading up to the high note which some find helpful when negotiating notes above the passaggio.

Dr. Mark Carlisle records in his dissertation the following observations and advice: "The most important aspect for singer and accompanist in this song is that of rhythm. This song derives a great deal of its variety and interest from rhythmical complexity, so it is imperative that performers follow as closely as possible the rhythmical changes that occur quite frequently. This includes many elements, such as the dotted-rhythms, staccato and accent marks, strict observance of the rests, tenuto markings over the word "Clink" in the vocal line, and even the marcato in measure 1 and legato in measure 8. All of these help to play a significant part in the overall character of the piece, and any substantial failure to incorporate these rhythmical elements would only produce a monotonous rendition, devoid of most of the excitement and energy the song can generate with the proper care." (Carlisle, 117)

"The overall technical demands of this song are not severe, though the end of each stanza does present a formidable problem, especially for a young voice. The text is not as sophisticated as some other Hardy poems, so overly mature interpretive skills are not required. Because it is strophic, the song is not difficult to learn. It does require facile articulation, but this challenge can still be met by many young tenors." (Carlisle, 117)

"The tessitura is not particularly high, approximately a to d¹, and even the ascending vocal line in measures 6-7 as well as the corresponding measures in other sections probably would not cause a young tenor much difficulty. However, the sustained a¹ at the end of each section is a different matter. Very few if any young lyric tenors have developed the ability to sustain such a note without excessive or extreme tension, so it would not be wise to assign this piece until their technic is quite solid. Therefore, as a general rule, this piece would be best suited for a tenor of more advanced standing. This could, of course, include the gifted upper-level undergraduate, but it is more likely that a graduate student would have less difficulty negotiating the rather treacherous high not at the end of each section than his younger counterpart. It is not an intellectually or even musically challenging piece, but can provide enjoyable contrast in a recital group of English songs." (Carlisle, 117-8)

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Below one will find excerpts from unpublished dissertations and theses. The excerpts should provide a more complete analysis of Budmouth Dears for those wishing to see additional detail. Please click on the link or scroll down.

Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt - The Songs of Gerald Finzi (1901-1956) To Poems by Thomas Hardy

Mark Carlisle - Gerald Finzi: A performance Analysis of A Young Man's Exhortation and Till Earth Outwears, Two Works for High Voice and
Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy

Leslie Alan Denning - A Discussion and Analysis of Songs for the Tenor Voice Composed by Gerald Finzi with Texts by Thomas Hardy

Carl Stanton Rogers - A Stylistic Analysis of A Young Man's Exhortation, Opus 14, by Gerald Finzi to words by Thomas Hardy

Michael R. Bray - An Analysis of Gerald Finzi's "A Young Man's Exhortation"

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Pitch Analysis
  pitch
1st
stanza
2nd
stanza
3rd
stanza
4th
stanza
total
highest
A
2
2
2
2
8
G
1
1
1
1
4
F
3
3
3
3
12
E
7
6
6
6
25
D
3
4
3
3
13
middle
C
9
9
9
9
36
B
8
9
8
8
33
A
11
11
11
11
44
G
6
6
6
6
24
F
5
5
5
5
20
E
4
4
4
4
16
D
0
0
0
0
0
lowest
C#
1
1
1
1
4

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Interval Analysis of Vocal Line
interval
direction
1st
stanza
2nd
stanza
3rd
stanza
4th
stanza
total
occurrences
minor 3rd
up
5
5
5
5
20
minor 3rd
down
5
5
5
5
20
major 3rd
up
2
2
2
2
8
major 3rd
down
2
2
2
2
8
perfect 4th
up
1
1
1
1
4
perfect 4th
down
perfect 5th
up
perfect 5th
down
1
1
1
1
4
minor 6th
up
minor 6th
down
major 6th
up
major 6th
down
octave
up
octave
down
1
1
1
1
4
             
total
up
8
8
8
8
32
total
down
9
9
9
9
36
stanza
total
17
17
17
17
(68)

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Rhythm Duration Analysis of Vocal Line
  1st verse 2nd verse 3rd verse 4th verse total
16th note
7
10
8
3
28
8th note
38
38
36
42
154
dotted 8th
5
4
6
3
18
quarter
note
5
5
5
4
19
half note
triplet
2
2
2
4
10
half tied
to 8th
1
1
1
1
4
8th tied
to triplet
1
1
1
2
5
stanza
total
59
61
59
59
(238)

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Audio Recordings

The Songs of Gerald Finzi to Words by Thomas Hardy
The Songs of Gerald Finzi to Words by Thomas Hardy
  • Works: Disc I: Finzi's Earth and Air and Rain, Till Earth Outwears, I Said To Love; Disc II: A Young Man's Exhortation, and Before and After Summer.
  • Recorded: December 1984; rereleased Aug. 2009
  • Hyperion CDA66161/2 MCPS.
  • Playing time: 116 minutes and 34 seconds

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Gerald Finzi Song Collections
  • Works: Disc 1: Finzi's Before & After Summer, Till Earth Outwears, I Said to Love; Disc 2: Finzi's A Young Man's Exhortation, and Earth and Air and Rain.
  • Recorded: Disc 1: December 1967; Disc 2: April 1970; Rereleased in 2007
  • Lyrita SRCD.282.
  • Playing time: 1 hour and 59 minutes total; Disc I: 62 minutes and 41 seconds; Disc II: 56 minutes and 30 seconds.

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The English Song Series - 16
The English Song Series 16 from Naxos album cover

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Song Cycles for Tenor & Piano by Gerald Finzi
Song Cycles for tenor and piano by Gerald Finzi album cover

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Songs by Britten, Finzi & Tippett
Songs by Britten, Finzi & Tippett album cover
  • Works: Benjamin Britten's Who are these children? Gerald Finzi's A Young Man's Exhortation, and Michael Tippett's Boyhood's End.
  • Recorded: Feb. 2004; released Feb. 2005
  • Hyperion CDA67459
  • Playing time: 76 minutes and 1 second

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Songs of the Heart: Song Cycles of Gerald Finzi
Songs of the Heart album cover
  • Laurene Lisovich, piano
  • Works: Finzi's Farewell to Arms, Till Earth Outwears, Oh Fair to See, and A Young Man's Exhortation.
  • Recorded: 1998
  • Gasparo GSCD-335.
  • Playing time: 72 minutes and 50 seconds.
 

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Unpublished Analysis Excerpts


The following is a text analysis of Thomas Hardy's poem Budmouth Dears by Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt. Dr. Van der Watt extended permission to post this excerpt from his dissertation on October 8th, 2010. His dissertation dated November 1996, is entitled:

The Songs of Gerald Finzi (1901-1956) To Poems by Thomas Hardy

This excerpt comes from Volume II and begins on page ninety-six and concludes on page one hundred three. To view the methodology used within Dr. Van der Watt's dissertation please refer to: Methodology - Van der Watt.

1. Poet

Specific background concerning poem:

"The poem comes from The Dynasts (1907) and was also included in Selected Poems (1916) in which Hardy "gave six extracts...the status of separate poems." (1976:xxxv - The Complete Poems - James Gibson) The Dynasts has England's involvement [in] the Napoleonic Wars as backdrop and the song of a certain young soldier (a Hussar) is quite conceivable."
(Van der Watt, 96)

2. Poem

CONTENT/MEANING

"The poem presents an imagined song by a certain Hussar who, on behalf of his regiment, pays homage to the young ladies of Budmouth. (Budmouth is Hardy's name for Weymouth) The regiment is temporarily stationed at this coastal town, prior to 1815, in anticipation of battle on the Continent against Napoleon's forces. In the meantime, part of the daily routine in Budmouth, are drill manoeuvres on the esplanade, much in view of the town's beauties. The first two stanzas create an impression of general frolicking, with the imminent war very much in the background. Stanzas three and four are retrospective. The soldiers are now in on the continent ("we roam. . .where the faces frown") but their thoughts are very much in England and two questions are prominent in their minds. Will they miss us much? Shall we once again meet them?"
(Van der Watt, 96-7)

STYLE

"The poem is much in the style of a marching song, with lyrical and ballad-like aspects."
(Van der Watt, 97)

FORM

"The poem consists of four sestets with lines of uneven length. (the third line is almost double the length of the others.) The final line of each stanza contains the onomatopoeic, "Clink! Clink!" which causes the line to have refrain-like tendencies. The rhyme scheme is an interesting mixture of paired and rounded rhyme with the -own- sound returning twice in every stanza (l. 3 brown, l. 6 down, l. 9 renown, l. 12 town, l. 15 frown, l. 18 town, l. 21 gown, l. 24 down): aabccb ddbeeb ffbggb hhbiib. The most prevalent metric type is trochaic, there are, however, many variations of which the spondeeic examples, in the final line of each stanza, are the most prominent."
(Van der Watt, 97)

3. Synthesis

"A strong atmosphere of gaiety and excitement is present in the poem which is largely caused by the following extensive lexical set:"
(Van der Watt, 97)

fresh, tall and tossing, hearts, sing-songing, smart, distract, pleasant, prank, played, marvel, flash, divine, smile, fair, fantastic, greet, gay, glow, archly, quiz, con, glance
(Van der Watt, 97)

"A shorter lexical set establishes the backdrop of war:"
(Van der Watt, 97)

paced, troopers, regiment, countersign, tore, camp, miss, swept us sunder, frown, no more, spurs
(Van der Watt, 97)

"The poem pulsates with the throbbing of life, love and youth. Being away at war is made bearable for the soldiers by their recollection of the Budmouth girls and there is a strong sense of expectation that there will be a second meeting after the war. Form, style and content are in a happy union here and the usual realistic philosophy prevails make the most of the circumstances!"
(Van der Watt, 97)

Setting

1. Timbre

VOICE TYPE/RANGE

"The song is set for tenor voice and this voice type is the most suitable to the text: a youthful soldier is best associated with the highest male voice-type. The range is a minor thirteenth from the first C sharp below middle C."
(Van der Watt, 97)

ACCOMPANIMENT CHARACTERISTICS

"The range of the piano accompaniment extends to almost six octaves (fourth B below middle C to the third A above middle C). There are four bars in which the right hand material is notated in the bass clef (b. 25-28) for the sake of anticipating and supporting the text that establishes the fact that the soldiers have now gone off to war. It is as if a battle is rumbling far off in the distance (b. 27 p), when they are wondering if the "Budmouth Dears" are missing them. The general sonority, apart from the aforementioned section, is bright and masculine. There is no indications for the use of pedal and it should be applied with great care and tact not to infringe on the many staccato chords."
(Van der Watt, 98)

"A lot of careful indication of articulation is to be found in the piano part of the song. Only seven of the bars contain no staccato indication and there are also staccatissimo indications in bar 41. The many quaver rests [eighth rests] which accompany quaver notes, are nothing but "written out" crotchet [quarter note] staccatos. In a staccato-dominated context, legato indications become more significant. The most prominent of these are bars 8⁴- 10¹ which accompany the text, "And our hearts would ache with longing;" bars 16³ - 19¹ and bars 38⁴- 41³. Portamento accents are found in a number of bars (b. 1, 2, 3, 4, 14, 29, 37, 42) and have the function of mild accentuation. Stronger accents (>) are also used (b. 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 20, 42, 48). Four of these accents occur on the upbeat to the refrain-like line of each stanza and have an electrifying effect (especially bar 42⁴). The final chord, apart from the accent is also furnished with a ffz, which is the strongest dynamic indication in the song."
(Van der Watt, 98)

"The song starts with an f marcato indication which immediately sets the mood along with the tempo indication in English (and not the usual Italian): "Storming march." The atmosphere presented by the piano part is brisk, excited, pulsating and jovial. Only the section referring to the soldiers being at war, deviates from this briefly."
(Van der Watt, 98)

2. Duration

METRE

"The mainly trochaic textual metre is matched with a common-time time-signature with an occasional bar extended by adding an extra crotchet. The result, apart from placing certain words on the strong beat, is a fairly comical march in which some soldier is occasionally out of step as a result of too much frolicking with the girls. Metre variations are given below:"

Bar no.
Metre
No. bars
Total
Reason/s
1
4/4
1
43
Marching atmosphere, anticipate text metre
2
5/4
1
5
Irregularity a comical effect
3
4/4
3
Marching atmosphere
6
5/4
1
Emphasis on "O"
7
4/4
9
Text metre, marching effect, emphasis on "tall"
16
5/4
1
Emphasis on "By"
17
4/4
11
Text metre, marching effect, emphasis on "marvel"
28
5/4
1
Emphasis on "Now"
29
4/4
9
Text metre, marching effect, emphasis on "roam"
38
5/4
1
Emphasis on Falter
39
4/4
10
Text metre, marching effect, emphasis on "gay"
(Van der Watt, 98)

RHYTHM

Rhythmic motifs

"The most prominent motif (motif 1) consists of four quavers, (either legato, non-legato or staccato) and occurs 61 times in the piano and vocal parts. Apart from the rhythmic unity it creates, it is the main carrier of the rhythmic activity. Motif 2 is really a variation on the above and consists of a dotted quaver, semi-quaver and two quavers and is often joined to motif one. It has been derived from the opening vocal line and occurs 26 times in both piano and vocal parts. Motif 3 consists of four staccato crotchets (notated as four quavers each followed by a rest) and occurs 14 times in its entirety and a number of times in an incomplete form. This motif, only occurring in the piano part, is largely responsible for the pulsating drive that the song has. A short motif, consisting of a quaver and two semi-quavers occurs 17 times (motif 4) only in the piano part (b. 2, 3, 12(2), 14(2), 15, 16, 22, 24, 32, 34(2), 36, 44, 46 and 47). Finally a cheeky little motif (two semi-demi-quavers and a dotted quaver tied to a crotchet) which occurs only twice (b. 4 & 48), also deserves attention. The quickness of the first two occasions creates a sense of thrill or vigour immediately before the song starts (b. 4³) and reinforces the same sense remaining at the end of the song (b. 48²)."
(Van der Watt, 99)

Rhythmic activity vs. Rhythmic stagnation

"The rhythmic activity remains fairly constant throughout, namely that of quaver movement in either piano or voice or both. The piano part slows down once in bar 29 for the sake of allowing the text, "we roam from where the faces smile," to be clear. The piano part also has an increased activity on one occasion (b. 44³-45³) to semi-quavers, with the implication that the excitement is almost out of control, as the soldiers look forward to a second meeting with the "Budmouth Dears"."
(Van der Watt, 99)

Rhythmic perceptive, erroneous and interesting settings

"The following words have been set perceptively:"

Words set perceptively
(Van der Watt, 99)

Lengthening of voiced consonants

"The following words containing voiced consonants have been rhythmically prolonged in order to make the word more singable:"

Lengthening of voiced consonants
(Van der Watt, 99)

SPEED

"The tempo indication is "Storming march" [with the quarter note equalling] c. 132. There are no deviations from the stated tempo. This fact has a strong influence on the general excitement and forward drive in the song."
(Van der Watt, 99)

3. Pitch

MELODY

Intervals: Distance distribution

Interval
Upwards
Downwards
Unison
(16)
Second
108
40
Third
28
28
Fourth
4
0
Fifth
0
4
Octave
0
4
(Van der Watt, 100)

"There are 16 repeated pitches (or 7% of the total number), 140 rising intervals (or 60%) and 76 falling intervals (or 33%). The smaller intervals 9a third and smaller) account for 220 intervals (95% of the total number) while the larger intervals (fourths and larger) account for 12 (or 5%). The stepwise rising intervals are in a large majority (108 out of a possible 232): almost half of all the vocal intervals are rising seconds. With other rising intervals the percentage is raised to 60%. The connection between the rising intervals and the emotional excitement is thereby established."
(Van der Watt, 100)

Specific settings:

"In a context where 95% of the intervals are a third and smaller, specific leaps are significant:"

Interval
Bar no.
Word/s
Reason/s
8th down
7
figures
Emphasis, change of register
4th up
12
and down
Emphasis, to climax
8th down
17
troopers
Emphasis, change of register
4th up
22
the town
Emphasis, to climax
8th down
29
faces
Emphasis, change of register
4th up
34
the town
Emphasis, to climax
8th down
39
glow again
Emphasis, change of register
4th up
44
and down
Emphasis, to climax
(Van der Watt, 100)

Melodic curve

"A melodic curve of the vocal line is represented below. Certain words are indicated to show the relationship between the melodic curve and the meaning:"

Melodic curve(Van der Watt, 100)

Climaxes

"The vocal climaxes of each stanza are given below:"

Bar no.
Pitch
Word
7
A
town
12, 44
A
down
17
A
figures
22, 34
A
troopers
29
A
faces
39
A
glow
(Van der Watt, 101)

Phrase lengths

"The four phrases, one for each of the stanzas, are parallel in construction and breathing occurs in the same parallel places. Stanza 1 is given as an example:"

Stanza 1 (b. 5-13)
Breathe at 6⁴, 8³ and 10⁴
(Van der Watt, 101)

TONALITY

"The basic key is A major while the song begins and ends in f sharp natural minor which results in a sense of the song being modal. All the transitions between A major and f sharp natural minor are summarized below:"

Bar no.
From - To
Suggested reason/s
1
f sharp natural min.
Captures soldier's march
5
A maj.
Positive reference to girls
25
f sharp natural min.
Soldiers left for war
29
A maj.
Pleasant thoughts on the "fair fantastic creatures"
34
f sharp natural min.
Variation in the cadence
34
A maj.
Soldiers anticipate a second meeting
47
f sharp natural min.
Returns to the opening soldier's march
(Van der Watt, 101)

Chromaticism

"There is not a single chromatically altered note in the song. This is possibly due to the fact that the natural minor key, with its modal connotations, is used and as a result there is no raised leading note."
(Van der Watt, 101)

HARMONY AND COUNTERPOINT

"Many triads containing sevenths are used: (b. 11², 12¹, 13¹, 14³, 16³&⁵, 21², 22⁴, 23¹, 24²-³, 26-28, 29³, 30⁴, 31², 32², 33², 34¹, 35¹&⁴, 38⁵, 43³, 44⁴ and 47²). These and ordinary triads are often used in unconventional second inversions. A number of prominent examples of second inversion chords in succession, are bars 11³-, 12²-³, 13²-⁴, 16¹-², 17⁴-18², 20²-³ and 23⁴-24¹."
(Van der Watt, 101)

Non-harmonic tones

"The most prominent non-harmonic tones are the accented passing note (b. 7⁴, 8⁴, 23², 34⁴, 40⁴, 41³, 45¹ and 46¹) and the suspension (b. 11¹-³, 17¹, 21¹-³ and 33¹-²). The function is consistent: Creating dissonance on the beat in an unchromatic, tonal context."
(Van der Watt, 101)

Harmonic devices

"There is a single instance of pedalpoint in bars 25⁴- 28¹. though not a long sustained note, the third A below middle C occurs often enough to establish the rumbling drone of a battle or marching in the distance."
(Van der Watt, 102)

Counterpoint

"There is one example of brief canonic imitation between piano and voice in bars 37 -38, involving the opening motif of the song. The piano furthermore, has short snatches of internal imitation in bars 12³-⁴, 14³-⁴ and 34³-⁴."
(Van der Watt, 102)

4. Dynamics

"Loudness variation is given in the following summary:"

Dynamics

(Van der Watt, 102)

FREQUENCY

"There are 33 indications in 48 bars of the piano part and eight separate indications for voice. This means that most bars contain an indication. Where there are no separate indications for the voice the implication is that the voice should follow the indications given in the piano part."
(Van der Watt, 102)

RANGE

"The indications range from p (b. 16, 27, 36) to ff (b. 44) to ffz (b. 48), the loudest indication."
(Van der Watt, 102)

VARIETY

"The indications used are:"

Variety of dynamics(Van der Watt, 102)

DYNAMIC ACCENTS

"Dynamic accents occur with regular intervals. Only the stronger accents (>) will be mentioned again. In bars 4 and 48 a vigorous rhythmic motif is accentuated for the sake of prominence. Bars 6³ and 7¹ contain accents to shift the metre momentarily to 2/4. Bars 10⁴ , 20⁴ and 42⁴ are parallel moments in the stanza, just before the refrain-like final line of each stanza. These accents create a sense of out-of-step-ness and provide the song with a a strong sense of fun. The accents in bar 11¹-³ coincide with the first occurrences of the words, "Clink! Clink!," and reinforce the sound effect of the onomatopoeic words. The last accent, on the final chord, emphasizes the final moment in f sharp natural minor."
(Van der Watt, 102)

5. Texture

"The density varies loosely between two and seven parts including both piano and voice. The thickness of the piano part is represented in the following table:"

No. of parts
No. of bars
Percentage
2 parts
5
10
3 parts
9
19
4 parts
10
21
5 parts
16
33
6 parts
8
17
(Van der Watt, 103)

"The only two-part sections are to be found in the piano introduction (b. 1-4) and part of the last bar (b. 48). The absence of harmony and the indication marcato accentuates the anticipated excitement. Six-part piano textures are localized to two places: bar 29, where the two fairly low chords still continue the idea of a battle in the distance and bars 39-47, where the thicker texture enhances the build up of expectancies in the last stanza in which the soldiers look forward to a second meeting after the war. The main texture varies between five and three parts, with a slight emphasis on the thicker texture. The thicker texture aptly supports the marching character of the song."
(Van der Watt, 103)

6. Structure

"The structure of the song can be represented in the following table:"

Structure

(Van der Watt, 103)

"The song is strophic with variations of texture and articulation in the piano part. The only vocal alterations are those which are necessitated by the textual differences."
(Van der Watt, 103)

7. Mood and atmosphere

"The mood of the song is fairly consistent throughout, largely due to the unaltered tempo that prevails. It has a very strong forward drive suggesting the forward movement of the soldier's marching carefully. The rough chordal texture and use of staccato create the impression that the soldiers are marching on loose gravel. There is a strong sense of exhilaration and anticipation in the song. There is also a slightly ominous mood in bars 24-35 (the third stanza) prior to and in conjunction with the text, "Do they miss us much, I Wonder?," when the soldiers have already left for the war."
(Van der Watt, 103)

General comment on style

"The song is harmonically mostly tonal and the more modal use of f sharp natural minor is restricted to isolated places. The singing style is extremely sympathetic to the voice (95% smaller intervals) and the atmosphere of excitement is captured masterfully without the use of chromaticism. The rhythmically pulsating drive and scores of "ripping" chords, accentuated oddly and evenly, vividly conjures up a picture of soldiers marching."
(Van der Watt, 103)

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Unpublished Analysis Excerpts


The following is an analysis of Budmouth Dears by Mark Carlisle. Dr. Carlisle extended permission to post this excerpt from his dissertation on September 7th, 2010. His dissertation dated December 1991, is entitled:


Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of A Young Man's Exhortation and Till Earth Outwears, Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy

 

This excerpt begins on page one hundred eight and concludes on page one hundred eighteen of the dissertation.

 

Comments on the Poem

"This poem is extracted from Hardy's epic play, The Dynasts, which revolves around Napoleon Bonaparte and his invasion of Europe. This poem is actually a song extracted from Part III, Act II, Scene I of the play, which takes place around a campfire on the eve of the battle of Vitoria. Several members of the Hussar regiment are reminiscing about the time they were stationed in Budmouth, England, a coastal area in South Wessex, as one of the soldiers begins to sing this ditty about the girls of Budmouth. Consequently, it can also be found under the title, "The Hussar's Song," Hussar being a Hungarian term for "horseman." The Hussar, or cavalry, regiment in British history was best known for its colorful uniforms that included much frogging and a "sling-jacket," usually bright red and slung loosely over one shoulder. Although it expresses the exuberance for life that Finzi was seeking to portray in Part I of this cycle of songs, it is here that we begin to see the first signs of nostalgia, and a looking backward to reflect on past experiences."
(Carlisle, 108)

Comments on the Music

"Finzi's setting of this text is among the most forthright of all his songs-a straightforward, uncomplicated, but highly energetic musical representation of a 'campfire ditty.' Neither the text nor the music are profound in any way, but the song nevertheless adds considerable liveliness and enjoyment to this cycle. It is highly extroverted, even surpassing its predecessor, 'ditty,' and shows a compositional as well as personal side of Finzi that is rarely seen or heard. Much of Hardy's poetry is centered on deep, philosophical concepts that were also very important to Finzi, but this text of a rather 'hedonistic' nature allowed the more outgoing quality of Finzi's personality to come to the fore."
(Carlisle, 108-9)

"The poetic stanzas are set in a varied strophic format, although in general the aspect of variance is determined more by differences in text length between sentences and stanzas than by any preconceived attempt at musical variety for its own sake. The vocal melody is almost exactly identical from stanza to stanza, changing only slightly when necessary to accommodate different numbers of words. One measure in a particular stanza may be metrically longer or shorter than its counterpart in a different stanza, or minor rhythmical adjustments in the vocal melody may be all that is necessary, but in very few if any of these cases are the changes noticeable except to the most experienced listeners. Since so much of the musical structure remains constant in this song, it is also best analyzed and discussed in a style that focuses on general characteristics found throughout the entire song rather than a section by section analysis. Any significant changes between sections, of which there are very few, can certainly be mentioned within this framework."
(Carlisle, 109)

"There is little that is harmonically ingenious in this song. The song begins in the key of F sharp minor, and remains there throughout; no modulations or even transitory passages occur at any time. Because of the consistent flatted seventh scale degree, there is a sense of modality in the melody that is characteristic of many folksongs, but that is the extent of harmonic interest. By contrast, those aspects of this particular song that are the most interesting and important include the following: 1) rhythmical and metrical elements and changes that create much excitement, considerably influence a flexible textural structure, and often produce 'programmatic' effects; and 2) a vocal melody with an appealing sense of energy and expansiveness created by both rhythmical means and a relatively extensive vocal range."
(Carlisle, 109-10)

"The vocal melody is primarily designed to facilitate rapid text declamation rather than call attention to itself as something particularly musical and expressive. It has a simple, folk-like quality that is obscured, however, by the rapid pace of the tempo and an emphasis on extended range. This is most evident in measures 7 and 12, seen in Example 13, in which can be found the apex points for the eight measures of melody. The melody's rapid ascent in measures 6-7 creates much inherent melodic energy, as does the final ascent to a¹ in measure 12. This latter is also the last note of each section, and therefore renders a dramatic ending to each section."
(Carlisle, 110)

"Example 13. 'Budmouth Dears,' measures 6-13."
(Carlisle, 110-1)

Example 13. Budmouth Dears measures 6 - 7Example 13. Budmouth Dears measures 8-9Example 13. Budmouth Dears measures 10-13

"Also important in the melodic structure is the dotted eighth-note, sixteenth-note pattern found at the beginning of several measures, such as 5, 6, and 7. This pattern serves as a 'springboard' for melodic energy as well as providing basic rhythmical interest (see Example 13). All of this Being said, the melody still serves its purpose well, for with the exception of those spots mentioned above, it permits a generally smooth and even delivery of the text throughout each section. Its structure leans toward conjunct motion, and even that which is disjunct is usually limited to intervals of a third."
(Carlisle, 111)

"While the vocal melody is certainly important, rhythm and meter are even more so, for they serve to reflect the overall character of the song. The dotted rhythms in the melody can be heard throughout in both melody and accompaniment. The repetitiveness of this rhythmical pattern is very important, for it unifies and binds the piece together, and helps create the 'marching' quality inherent in the poem's mood. The rhythmical diversity allows the textural changes to have more impact than they might otherwise. This diversity is enhanced by not only the dotted rhythmical figure, but also a judicious use of rests and accent marks primarily in the accompaniment. Examples of these are numerous; measure 5, 6, and 7 all contain rests after each eighth-note chord that strongly reflect the marching element in the song. The same is true in measure 11, in which the addition of the accent marks adds more strength to the militaristic effect (see Example 13)."
(Carlisle, 112)

"Staccati heard in the first three measure of the piece and at various points throughout the song are a third rhythmic component, while syncopation as heard in such measures as 4, 21, and 26-27 adds a fourth. All of these rhythmical ingredients would be of little consequence, however, were they used excessively and without regard for the intent of the text. Fortunately, such is not the case, for Finzi paced the variety and changes of rhythms very carefully to maintain strong rhythmical interest but at the same time allow the rhythm to support the text."
(Carlisle, 112)

"For instance, a legato feeling in measure 9 at the words 'And our hearts would ache with longing' is created by the absence of most rhythmical markings; consistent eighth-note movement without interruption is the basic structure of this measure. However, the rhythm returns to eighth-note chords broken by rests in measure 10 to better portray the words, 'As we paced from our sing-songing.' This rhythm is continued into measure 11, with the addition of accent marks over the first three chords to exemplify the 'Clink!, Clink!' of the marching footsteps of the soldier (see Example 13). These three measures constitute the most obvious example of rhythmical support of the text, and provide evidence that Finzi was using different rhythmical elements in ways other than random. In the final analysis, the combination of all of these elements creates a complex but highly interesting rhythmical structure that is the framework for a simple, old-fashioned British campfire song."
(Carlisle, 112-3)

"Metrical changes within this piece are not as important as rhythmical complexity, but they are still a factor in the overall perception of rhythmical variety. The changes occur only between the meter of 4/4 and 5/4, and are almost exclusively found in the first three measures of each verse that include the following: measures 5-7, 15-17, 27-29, and 37-39. The only other instance of metrical change occurs in the accompaniment during the opening three measures of the song. These measures contain the basic outline and framework of the vocal melody, however, so the effect of the change is the same as it is at the beginning of each of the verses. The extra beat in the 5/4 measures is used to effect a slight musical and textual pause in the middle of the first sentence of each stanza. This pause is not necessary in order to accommodate an unusual number of words in a sentence, or to compensate for unusual rhythm in the poem. Rather, it simply adds a slight syncopation to primarily the vocal line that keeps metrical monotony from becoming predominant. Its effect over the course of the entire piece is subtle, but it is nevertheless one more factor that adds interesting and worthwhile complexity to the song."
(Carlisle, 113-4)

"Textural changes occur more often than in most of the other songs in this cycle. Although some of Finzi's songs are homophonic, of which this is one, there is more textural 'play' between horizontal and vertical elements than is sometimes the case. For instance, the opening six measures show the texture moving from a horizontal approach in the first four measures to one that is strictly vertical in measures 5 and 6. Another example of this occurs in measures 8-10, in which the texture changes from a combination of horizontal and vertical qualities in measure 8, to predominantly horizontal quality in measure 9, to finally a vertical quality in measure 10 (see Example 13). This dynamic textural interplay can be seen and heard throughout the song, providing much variety, complexity, and interest for the listener."
(Carlisle, 114)

"As was mentioned earlier, rhythmical factors play an extremely important part in how the textural changes are perceived, but together they create some wonderfully 'programmatic' effects. For instance, again using measure 11 as an example, the purely chordal structure punctuated by rests and accent marks at this point creates the marvelous effect of the 'clinking' spurs of marching soldiers. Another very interesting effect occurs in measures 25-30, as seen in Example 14, during which three distinctive textural/rhythmical changes can be heard."
(Carlisle, 114)

"Example 14. 'Budmouth Dears,' measures 27-30."
(Carlisle, 115)

Example 14. Budmouth Dears measures 26-27Example 14. Budmouth Dears measures 29-30

"Measures 25-28 contain a predominantly chordal, syncopated texture that comes to a pause in measure 29 with two half-note chords. This is then followed in measure 30 with a return to chordal structure that has a more horizontal, slightly polyphonic quality to it than is heard in measures 25-28. The text during these measures is the following: 'Do they miss us much, I wonder, Now that war has swept us sunder, And we roam from where the faces smile to where the faces frown?' One can hear the trotting of horses as the soldiers go off to war, pausing momentarily to remember the smiling faces left behind, and then continuing on their way to battle. This is, of course, one interpretation of such changes, and most of the variety of textures and rhythms used are to produce a general effect rather than highlight specific words or phrases. However, it is clear that the textural interplay heard in this song was no random act. Finzi had a very clear idea of the effect he wanted to create, and was able to do so with a great deal of success."
(Carlisle, 115-6)

Comments about Performance

"There are only a few interpretive concepts that need any explanation; this is a fairly straight-forward if somewhat "robust" song that needs little subtlety to be effective. The tempo marking at the very beginning, [quarter note] = c. 132 (Storming march), is excellent, and should be maintained as closely as possible from beginning to end. Very slight deviations from this would certainly be acceptable, but anything extensive would either cause the piece to lose important energy or create difficulty in textual enunciation. All but one of the dynamic markings in this song are in the accompaniment, and most are very appropriate. This kind of song depends much more on consistent energy and spirit than any expressive dynamic shadings, so performers should not try to be overly subtle. With this in mind, there seems to be little interpretive reason for either the mezzo-piano in measure 5 or the piano in measure 16; in both cases the text is still quite extroverted, so a more substantial mezzo-forte from both performers would better suit these moments. However, the piano markings in both voice and piano in measure 27 are appropriate and should be followed, as the mood of the text at this point assumes a more introverted and serious nature." (Carlisle, 116)

"The most important aspect for singer and accompanist in this song is that of rhythm. This song derives a great deal of its variety and interest from rhythmical complexity, so it is imperative that performers follow as closely as possible the rhythmical changes that occur quite frequently. This includes many elements, such as the dotted-rhythms, staccato and accent marks, strict observance of the rests, tenuto markings over the word "Clink" in the vocal line, and even the marcato in measure 1 and legato in measure 8. All of these help to play a significant part in the overall character of the piece, and any substantial failure to incorporate these rhythmical elements would only produce a monotonous rendition, devoid of most of the excitement and energy the song can generate with the proper care."
(Carlisle, 117)

"The overall technical demands of this song are not severe, though the end of each stanza does present a formidable problem, especially for a young voice. The text is not as sophisticated as some other Hardy poems, so overly mature interpretive skills are not required. Because it is strophic, the song is not difficult to learn. It does require facile articulation, but this challenge can still be met by many young tenors."
(Carlisle, 117)

"The tessitura is not particularly high, approximately a to d¹, and even the ascending vocal line in measures 6-7 as well as the corresponding measures in other sections probably would not cause a young tenor much difficulty. However, the sustained a¹ at the end of each section is a different matter. Very few if any young lyric tenors have developed the ability to sustain such a note without excessive or extreme tension, so it would not be wise to assign this piece until their technic is quite solid. Therefore, as a general rule, this piece would be best suited for a tenor of more advanced standing. This could, of course, include the gifted upper-level undergraduate, but it is more likely that a graduate student would have less difficulty negotiating the rather treacherous high not at the end of each section than his younger counterpart. It is not an intellectually or even musically challenging piece, but can provide enjoyable contrast in a recital group of English songs."
(Carlisle, 117-8)

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Unpublished Analysis Excerpts


The following is an analysis of Budmouth Dears by Leslie Alan Denning. Dr. Denning extended permission to post this excerpt from his dissertation on September 8th, 2010. His dissertation dated May 1995, is entitled:


A Discussion and Analysis of Songs for the Tenor Voice Composed by Gerald Finzi with Texts by Thomas Hardy

 

This excerpt begins on page fifty-six and concludes on page fifty-eight of the dissertation.

 

""Budmouth Dears" is published among Thomas Hardy's uncollected poems though it originally appeared in The Dynasts, Part III, Act II, Scene 1. Hardy himself indicated that six of the poems from The Dynasts be regarded as separate by including them in his 1916 publication Selected Poems. Within the poem the area referred to as Budmouth Beach is now known as Weymouth. The poem is subtitled "Hussar's Song." A hussar is a lightly armed military man who is traditionally dressed in a brilliant uniform. Hardy has provided notes in the manuscript regarding this."
(Denning, 56)

"Hussars, it may be remembered, used to wear a pelisse,
dolman, or "sling jacket" (as the men called it) which
hung loosely over the shoulder. The writer is able to
recall the picturesque effect of this uniform."
(Hardy, 970)
(Denning, 56)

"Within its four stanzas, "Budmouth Dears" happily describes a young soldier's duty on Budmouth Beach and the girls he and his buddies were teased by and in turn attempted to impress and flirt with. It was apparently the soldiers themselves that were more impressed, as Hardy states in the second stanza that even a famous soldier might forget secret passwords simply due to a glance from the girls. The true backdrop of the text surfaces in the third verse as it is learned that the soldier recounts this from a now different, more dangerous duty in a war zone. Still the fourth verses remains optimistic as the young man anticipates a return to Budmouth Beach patrol."
(Denning, 57)

"Finzi's setting of 'Budmouth Dears' is deliberately hearty in nature and provides great contrast to the surrounding songs. The composer presents a rare example of strophic setting here, although, the accompaniment is different for each verse. The influence of folksong is evident in the melody, which is often angular with dance-like rhythms in the accompaniment. The distinctive melodic pattern consists of stepwise movement with small leaps on weak parts of the measure with an octave leap also on a weak beat. This is a true mark of Finzi's craftsmanship and it should be noted that the octave leap always falls at an important point in the text. This is achieved by his use of a constant 4/4 meter with insertion of irregular meters occasionally, to provide special emphasis or for placement of text. Present too is a sense of narrative balladry often seen in folksongs. Additionally, though the key indicated is A-major, there is an ever present sense of modality. The tonality is often blurred by use of chromaticism, emphasis on the submediant chord, and clear avoidance of the tonic chord in root position, especially on strong beats. All are typical Finzi devices."
(Denning, 57-8)

"Finzi has used the piano accompaniment within 'Budmouth Dears' as an important tool for setting, enhancing and expressing the mood of the text. The introduction consists of octaves of marcato melody which set the brisk mood of a march, eventually falling to chordal support and doubling the vocal line. The prelude and accompaniment of the second stanza are more subtle in preparation for the introspective, more serious tone of the third verse. The intensity of the third verse is prepared by a Holstian bass like that used in 'A Young Man's Exhortation' with seventh-chord harmonies being utilized. The small leaps grow with the intensity of the text, peaking with blocks of dominant chords in first inversion progressing to tonic seventh chords in third inversion. It is important to note that even at this climactic moment, Finzi has avoided the tonic in root position entirely (musical Example 6)."
(Denning, 58)

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Unpublished Analysis Excerpts


The following is an analysis of Budmouth Dears by Carl Stanton Rogers. Permission to post this excerpt was extended by Dr. Rogers' widow, Mrs. Carl Rogers on March 1st, 2011. Dr. Rogers' thesis dated August 1960, is entitled:

A Stylistic Analysis of A Young Man's Exhortation, Opus 14, by Gerald Finzi to words by Thomas Hardy

This excerpt begins on page twenty-eight and concludes on page thirty-three of the thesis. (Rogers, 28-33)

Part I, Number 3
"Budmouth Dears"

"Budmouth Dears" consists of four stanzas composed in a strophic form, and the setting of the words is syllabic throughout. The words deal with soldiers at war who recall pleasant memories in the past. A march-like feeling is maintained throughout the song by the use of sharp and incisive rhythms in the piano accompaniment. The composer has indicated that the song is to be performed as a "storming march."

Two meter signatures only are used in this song: 4/4 and 5/4, the 5/4 being used for the second line of poetry in each stanza to accommodate extra words at the end of the line.

A chief item of interest in "Budmouth Dears" is the melodic make-up of the vocal line. The piece has a key signature of three sharps, and neither the vocal line nor the piano accompaniment contains any notes outside of the scale of F-sharp minor in its natural or pure form. Table IV shows the treatment by duration of the scale degrees of the vocal line. The relatively short duration of the sixth degree is particularly noticeable.

TABLE IV

EMPHASIS ON SCALE DEGREES OF "BUDMOUTH DEARS"
BY DURATION
*

Scale Degree
Number
of Beats
3
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
39
1
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20 3/4
5
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19 1/12
4
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18 5/6
7
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18 1/3
2
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12
6
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6
*[quarter note] = unit of the beat

The tonality of the melody is vague and shifting due to two factors:

(a) The third scale degree (A-natural) is of considerably longer total duration than the tonic note (F-sharp).

(b) The total duration of the sixth scale degree is small, and its value never exceeds that of an eighth note in any single instance.

Here again, as in an earlier song (see Table II, Emphasis on Scale Degrees of "Ditty" by Duration), on scale degree -- in this case, the sixth -- is rather neglected in the vocal line, both induration and number of occurrences. In fact, it occurs only three times in each of three stanzas and four times in one stanza. This melody, then, is in the Aeolian mode with an unimportant sixth degree. Cecil Sharp's investigations of English folk-song scales apply here, since he classifies such a melody as is used in "Budmouth Dears" as a scale derived from an original pentatonic mode; in this cas, Mode II, (Sharp, xxxii) which is shown below, together with the scales derived from it.

Figure 11

Fig. 11 -- Mode II (Pentatonic) and its derivative scales.

"Budmouth Dears," therefore, with its hesitating use of the sixth scale degree, is based on the six-note scale listed as "Hexatonic a." by Sharp.

Although this song is in the main homophonic, the composer does use contrapuntal imitation in a few instances, usually in stretto form. The stretto device is used in a fragmentary way in the following example, where the upper voice in the piano accompaniment is imitated by a lower voice.

Figure 12

Fig. 12 -- "Budmouth Dears," measures 12 and 13, imitation in the piano accompaniment.

A particularly interesting use of the stretto device occurs between the vocal line and the highest treble voice of the accompaniment, as shown in Figure 13 below. One entire line of the melody is imitated in stretto fashion, the piano accompaniment entering first on the melody on the third beat of measure thirty-six.

Figure 13

Fig. 13 -- "Budmouth Dears," measures 36, 37, and 38, imitation in stretto form between accompaniment and vocal line.

The composer makes use of ostinato figurations in the bass in this song, in several instances, to depict the ominous and fearful nature of warfare when it is mentioned in the text.

Figure 14

Fig. 14 -- "Budmouth Dears," measures 27 and 28, word painting in piano accompaniment.

Turning to a consideration of the harmony used by the composer in this song, a certain predilection for parallel chord structures is evident, in this as well as later songs. (See Figure 12, measure 13). The harmonic structure of "Budmouth Dears" is completely tertian. A complete analysis of the root movement of the chords fro the entire song is given in Table V.

TABLE V

AN ANALYSIS OF THE FUNDAMENTAL ROOT MOVEMENT
OF "BUDMOUTH DEARS"

Interval
Number of Occurrences
Second
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
70
Fourth
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
Prime
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
26
Third
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21
Fifth
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10
Sixth
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6

Approximately 40 percent of all root movement in this song, according to Table V, is by the interval of the second, a condition which, like that of earlier songs (see "A Young Man's Exhortation" and "Ditty"), is contrary to traditional eighteenth and nineteenth century harmonic practice.

The preceding was an analysis of Budmouth Dears by Carl Stanton Rogers. Permission to post this excerpt was extended by Dr. Rogers' widow, Mrs. Carl Rogers on March 1st, 2011. Dr. Rogers' thesis dated August 1960, is entitled:

A Stylistic Analysis of A Young Man's Exhortation, Opus 14, by Gerald Finzi to words by Thomas Hardy

This excerpt began on page twenty-eight and concluded on page thirty-three of the thesis.

Top of page


Unpublished Analysis Excerpts


The following is an analysis of Budmouth Dears by Michael R. Bray. Dr. Bray extended permission to post this excerpt from his thesis on March 19th, 2011. His thesis dated May 1975, is entitled:

An Analysis of Gerald Finzi's "A Young Man's Exhortation"

This excerpt begins on page twenty-four and concludes on page twenty-eight of the thesis.
(Bray, 24-8)

BUDMOUTH DEARS

 

 

When we lay where Budmouth Beach is,

 
 

O, the girls were fresh as peaches,

 
 
With their tall and tossing figures and their eyes of blue and brown!
 
 

And our hearts would ache with longing

 
 

As we paced from our sing-songing,

 
 
With a smart Clink! Clink! up the Esplanade and down.
 
 
 

They distracted and delayed us

 
 

By the pleasant pranks they played us,

 
 
And what marvel, then, if troopers, even of regiments of renown,
 
 

On whom flashed those eyes divine, O,

 
 

Should forget the countersign, O,

 
 
As we tore Clink! Clink! back to camp above the town.
 
 
 

Do they miss us much, I wonder,

 
 

Now that war has swept us sunder

 
 
And we roam from where the faces smile to where the faces frown?
 
 

And no more behold the features

 
 

Of the fair fantastic creatures,

 
 
And no more Clink! Clink! past the parlours of the town?
 
 
 

Shall we once again there meet them?

 
 

Falter fond attempts to greet them?

 
 
Will the gay sling-jacket glow again beside the muslin gown? –
 
 

Will they archly quiz and con us

 
 

With a sideway glance upon us,

 
 
While our spurs Clink! Clink! up the Esplanade and down?
 

"Budmouth Dears" is from Hardy's epic-drama The Dynasts Part Third, II, i, published separately as "Hussar's Song: 'Budmouth Dears' " in Selected Poems. The Dynasts, Part Third, was published in 1908 marking it pre-World War I. Budmouth was actually Hardy's name for Weymouth, a resort town or small city on the coast seven miles south of Dorchester. Hardy lived in Weymouth in 1869, visited it often and wrote a number of poems about events there. The Dynasts is thought to have germinated from a childhood memory. When he was eight, Hardy found in his closet a magazine entitled A History of the Wars which his grandfather, a volunteer in a local regiment, had subscribed to. Its lurid scenes "set him on the train of ideas" that eventually led to The Dynasts. (Bailey, 638)

The poem is in marching song-like meter. Each verse is comprised in AABAAC form with A having eight syllables. The entire poem is seen as a soldier reminiscing (in typical Hardy fashion) about his Budmouth dears. The directives "Storming march [quarter-note] = c. 132" and "marcato" indicate that Finzi is very clear as to the effect desired. The first two measures of accompaniment have a great bearing upon the song. Not only does the unison melodic line (displaced three octaves) define the stacato march-like mood and the rhythmic motifs that are extensively used throughout the song, but it also introduces the melody of the opening two phrases of each verse.

EXAMPLE 7

EXAMPLE 7: "Budmouth Dears" measures 1-2.

The song is structured strophically, but the accompaniment varies within each verse according to demands from the text even though the harmonic structure remains unaltered. The first verse is accompanied with what turns out to be the marching or military theme - chorded eighth-note figures on the beat. Throughout the song, where the soldier makes references to his military organization or comrades, the accompaniment reverts back to this on-the-beat chording that is reminiscent of the regular drum cadence of marching troopers. When a more legato phrasing is desired (for example the phrases "tall and tossing figures and their eyes of blue and brown! / And our hearts would ache with longing. . . "), Finzi merely uses constant eighth-note motion moving scale wise void of any dotted rhythm patterns. The ending phrase of each verse is a unifying factor texturally (Clink! Clink!) and melodically, as well as rhythmically. This ending phrase with its sustained high A is the climax to every verse. And, in impeccable artistic taste, Finzi, through the reintroduction of the opening accompanimental climax, gradually tapers the phrase with a descending line pregnant with the rhythmic marching motifs.

EXAMPLE 8

EXAMPLE 8: "Budmouth Dears" measures 12-13.

In characteristic Hardy style, there is a time-lag between the first two verses and the last. The opening verses are set chronologically as if the action were occurring now and the girls are a step away on the boardwalk. The descriptive phrases are decisively declamatory. However, the point of view changes in the ending verses. Every sentence in the final verses are questions - each one a nostalgic variation on the passage of time theme (Can what was ever be again?).

Finzi, in dealing with the passage of time, doubles the length of duration between verses two and three. He also produces a low-key effect by imposing a constant eighth-note motion set very low in the bass register. This effect is perpetuated by the continuance of the low register accompaniment until the final climaxing phrase. At one point in the third verse, the motion completely stops as the soldier realizes his war-swept plight of roaming "from where the faces smile to where the faces frown."

The last verse returns to the stylistic march or military theme. The constant quarter note chording is also a unifying device reminiscent of the pulsing march cadence found in the first verse. In fact, the ending is a mirror image of the beginning. The introduction is repeated in full except that the unison line has now become a grand and glorious march with octaves in the right hand and the military chording in the left.

The song is melodically taxing. The wide range of an eleventh, the quickness and clarity with which the text must be uttered, and the long arching phrases all combine to make "Budmouth Dears" perhaps the most challenging in the cycle.

Harmonically, the song is strongly set in the functional domain of A Major. Once again, the homophonic sections are characterized by a "walking bass" line allowing for a smoothness and continuity to the phrasing.

Without appearing to sound redundant, it is indeed apparent that Finzi is a sensitive and creative master in song. His picturesque accompaniments, flowing melodies, and sensitive text painting complimented so strongly by his motivic unity mark his as a highlight in British music history.

 

The preceding was an analysis of Budmouth Dears by Michael R. Bray. Dr. Bray extended permission to post this excerpt from his thesis on March 19th, 2011. His thesis dated May 1975, is entitled:

An Analysis of Gerald Finzi's "A Young Man's Exhortation"

This excerpt began on page twenty-four and concluded on page twenty-eight of the thesis.
(Bray, 24-8)

Top of page


Unpublished Analysis Excerpts


The following is an analysis of Budmouth Dears by John Keston. Mr. Keston extended permission to post this excerpt from his thesis on September 30th, 2011. His thesis dated May 1981, is entitled:

Two Gentlemen from Wessex: The relationship of Thomas Hardy’s poetry to Gerald Finzi’s music.

This excerpt begins on page sixty-one and concludes on page seventy of the thesis. To view Mr. Keston's Methodology please refer to: Methodology - Keston.

BUDMOUTH DEARS

 

 

When we lay where Budmouth Beach is,

 
 

O, the girls were fresh as peaches,

 
 
With their tall and tossing figures and their eyes of blue and brown!
 
 

And our hearts would ache with longing

 
 

As we paced from our sing-songing,

 
 
With a smart Clink! Clink! up the Esplanade and down.
 
 
 

They distracted and delayed us

 
 

By the pleasant pranks they played us,

 
 
And what marvel, then, if troopers, even of regiments of renown,
 
 

On whom flashed those eyes divine, O,

 
 

Should forget the countersign, O,

 
 
As we tore Clink! Clink! back to camp above the town.
 
 
 

Do they miss us much, I wonder,

 
 

Now that war has swept us sunder

 
 
And we roam from where the faces smile to where the faces frown?
 
 

And no more behold the features

 
 

Of the fair fantastic creatures,

 
 
And no more Clink! Clink! past the parlours of the town?
 
 
 

Shall we once again there meet them?

 
 

Falter fond attempts to greet them?

 
 
Will the gay sling-jacket glow again beside the muslin gown? –
 
 

Will they archly quiz and con us

 
 

With a sideway glance upon us,

 
 
While our spurs Clink! Clink! up the Esplanade and down?
 

POETIC METER

The poetic meter of "Budmouth Dears" is not as complicated as most of the other Hardy poems used by Finzi in A Young Man's Exhortation. Trochaic tetrameter is constant throughout the four six-line stanzas with a break in the meter in the last line for three strong beats to accentuate the important words, "Clink! Clink!"

RHYTHMIC RELATIONSHIP

Here again Finzi is meticulous in adhering to his strict policy of not disturbing the natural meter and syllabic stresses of the words. "Budmouth Dears" begins in four four time with a five four bar interpolated intermittently throughout the song to accommodate the text. This does not in any way destroy the distinct marching rhythm intended in Hardy's writing. Finzi' s instructions are that this is a "Storming March" and should swing along at one hundred and thirty-tow quarter note beats per minute. It is a lively setting of this piece and a striking contrast rhythmically to the preceding and following songs. "budmouth Dears" is the song that Finzi had to work hard on because it was a fast one and he naturally gravitated to the slower settings. (Joy Finzi, interview)

TRANSLATION

"Budmouth" is Hardy's name for Weymouth, a south-western seaside resort town. (Bailey, 38) The poem is about British soldiers and the pretty girls they tried to woo in Weymouth. The soldiers are sent away to war in the third stanza and wonder if they are remembered by the beautiful girls they left behind. "Will we ever see them again and will our smart colourful uniforms walk beside their pretty gowns and will they tease us once again as they used to?" they ask in stanza number four.

In the first stanza, line seven, "Esplanade" refers to a wide sea front road where soldiers did their foot training. Stanza four, line three, "sling jacket" is a military jacket adorned with braid and buttons worn by soldiers in Victorian times, slung over the right or left shoulder dependent upon which was the sword hand and partially covering another well fitting ornate jacket underneath.

HUSSAR'S SONG

During Victorian times soldiers did their foot training in sea coast resorts an were sometimes billeted in people's homes before being sent to other military camps for more intensive combat training. "Budmouth Dears" is from The Dynasts, Part Third, II, i, published separately as 'Hussar's Song: Budmouth Dears' in Selected Poems. The song has been set to music by Boynton Smith (in the program for production of The Trumpet-Major by the Dorchester Debating and Dramatic Society, 1912.)" (Bailey, 634)

The preceding was an analysis of Budmouth Dears by John Keston. Mr. Keston extended permission to post this excerpt from his thesis on September 30th, 2011. His thesis dated May 1981, is entitled:

Two Gentlemen from Wessex: The relationship of Thomas Hardy’s poetry to Gerald Finzi’s music.

This excerpt began on page sixty-one and concluded on page seventy of the thesis.

Top of page

 

 

Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 117-8.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 117.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 117.
James Osler Bailey, The Poetry of Thomas Hardy
(Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of
North Carolina Press, 1970), 634.
James Osler Bailey, The Poetry of Thomas Hardy
(Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of
North Carolina Press, 1970), 38.
Joy Finzi, Personal interview about Gerald Finzi, 1979.
Sarah Bird Wright, Thomas Hardy A to Z:
The Essential Reference to His Life and Work

(New York: Checkmark Books, 2002), 73.
Sarah Bird Wright, Thomas Hardy A to Z:
The Essential Reference to His Life and Work

(New York: Checkmark Books, 2002), 73.
Sarah Bird Wright, Thomas Hardy A to Z:
The Essential Reference to His Life and Work

(New York: Checkmark Books, 2002), 69.
Sarah Bird Wright, Thomas Hardy A to Z:
The Essential Reference to His Life and Work

(New York: Checkmark Books, 2002), 68.
Sarah Bird Wright, Thomas Hardy A to Z:
The Essential Reference to His Life and Work

(New York: Checkmark Books, 2002), 68-9.
Sarah Bird Wright, Thomas Hardy A to Z:
The Essential Reference to His Life and Work

(New York: Checkmark Books, 2002), 69.
Sarah Bird Wright, Thomas Hardy A to Z:
The Essential Reference to His Life and Work

(New York: Checkmark Books, 2002), 68.
Sarah Bird Wright, Thomas Hardy A to Z:
The Essential Reference to His Life and Work

(New York: Checkmark Books, 2002), 68-9.
Sarah Bird Wright, Thomas Hardy A to Z:
The Essential Reference to His Life and Work

(New York: Checkmark Books, 2002), 69.
Sarah Bird Wright, Thomas Hardy A to Z:
The Essential Reference to His Life and Work

(New York: Checkmark Books, 2002), 68.
Sarah Bird Wright, Thomas Hardy A to Z:
The Essential Reference to His Life and Work

(New York: Checkmark Books, 2002), 68.
Sarah Bird Wright, Thomas Hardy A to Z:
The Essential Reference to His Life and Work

(New York: Checkmark Books, 2002), 154.
James Osler Bailey, The Poetry of Thomas Hardy
(Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of
North Carolina Press, 1970), 638.
Michael R. Bray, "An Analysis of Gerald Finzi's
'A Young Man's Exhortation' "
(Thesis, University of Northern Colorado, 1975), 24-8.
Michael R. Bray, "An Analysis of Gerald Finzi's
'A Young Man's Exhortation' "
(Thesis, University of Northern Colorado, 1975), 24-8.
Cecil Sharp, English Folk Songs from the
Southern Appalachians
, edited by Maud
Karpeles, Vol. I (2 volumes),
(London: Oxford University Press, 1952), xxxii.
Carl Stanton Rogers, "A Stylistic Analysis of
A Young Man's Exhortation, Opus 14, by
Gerald Finzi to words by Thomas Hardy"
(Thesis, North Texas State College, 1960), 28-33.
Carl Stanton Rogers, "A Stylistic Analysis of
A Young Man's Exhortation, Opus 14, by
Gerald Finzi to words by Thomas Hardy"
(Thesis, North Texas State College, 1960), 28-33.
Leslie Alan Denning, "A Discussion and Analysis of Songs for the
Tenor Voice Composed by Gerald Finzi with Texts by Thomas Hardy"
(doctoral essay, University of Miami, 1995), 58.
Leslie Alan Denning, "A Discussion and Analysis of Songs for the
Tenor Voice Composed by Gerald Finzi with Texts by Thomas Hardy"
(doctoral essay, University of Miami, 1995), 57-8.
Leslie Alan Denning, "A Discussion and Analysis of Songs for the
Tenor Voice Composed by Gerald Finzi with Texts by Thomas Hardy"
(doctoral essay, University of Miami, 1995), 57.
Leslie Alan Denning, "A Discussion and Analysis of Songs for the
Tenor Voice Composed by Gerald Finzi with Texts by Thomas Hardy"
(doctoral essay, University of Miami, 1995), 56.
Thomas Hardy, The Complete Poems of
Thomas Hardy, Edited by James Gibson
(New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1976), 970.
Leslie Alan Denning, "A Discussion and Analysis of Songs for the
Tenor Voice Composed by Gerald Finzi with Texts by Thomas Hardy"
(doctoral essay, University of Miami, 1995), 56.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 117-8.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 117.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 117.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 116.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 115-6.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 115.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 114.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 114.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 113-4.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 112-3.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 112.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 112.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 111.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 110-1.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 110.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 109-10.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 109.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 108-9.
Mark Carlisle, “Gerald Finzi: A Performance Analysis of
‘A Young Man’s Exhortation’ and ‘Till Earth Outwears,’
Two Works for High Voice and Piano to Poems by Thomas Hardy” 
(DMA thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1991), 108.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 103.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 103.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 103.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 103.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 103.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 103.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 102.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 102.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 102.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 102.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 102.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 102.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 102.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 101.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 101.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 101.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 101.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 101.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 101.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 100.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 100.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 100.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 100.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 99.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 99.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 99.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 99.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 99.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 98.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 98.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 98.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 98.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 97.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 97.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 97.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 97.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 97.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 97.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 97.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 97.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 96-7.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 96.
Click on link to go to the
unpublished dissertation excerpt.
Click on link to go to the
unpublished dissertation excerpt.
Click on link to go to the
unpublished dissertation excerpt.
Gerald Finzi, Gerald Finzi Collected Songs: 44 Songs Including 7 Cycles or Sets
(Milwaukee, WI: Boosey & Hawkes; Hal Leonard, 2008), 140.
Stephen Banfield, Gerald Finzi: An English Composer
(London: Faber and Faber,1997), 144.
Please click on this link for information
about the collection of poems.
The Hussar's were light cavalry with
striking or flamboyant uniforms.
The coat/jacket of the Hussar uniform,
the jacket was highly ornate.
to separate; part; divide; sever.
to become separated.
A sign or signal to be given to a sentry
in order to obtain passage; a password.
A flat open stretch of pavement or grass,
especially one designed as a promenade along a shore.
Sarah Bird Wright, Thomas Hardy A to Z:
The Essential Reference to His Life and Work

(New York: Checkmark Books, 2002), 154.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 97.
Gerhardus Daniël Van der Watt, “The Songs of Gerald Finzi
(1901-1956) to Poems by Thomas Hardy” vol. 2,
(DM diss., University of South Africa, 1996), 97.
Sarah Bird Wright, Thomas Hardy A to Z:
The Essential Reference to His Life and Work

(New York: Checkmark Books, 2002), 154.
Sarah Bird Wright, Thomas Hardy A to Z:
The Essential Reference to His Life and Work

(New York: Checkmark Books, 2002), 154.
Thomas Hardy, The Complete Poems of
Thomas Hardy, Edited by James Gibson
(New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1976), 939.
Sarah Bird Wright, Thomas Hardy A to Z:
The Essential Reference to His Life and Work

(New York: Checkmark Books, 2002), 154.
James  Osler Bailey, The Poetry of Thomas Hardy:
A Handbook and Commentary
(Chapel Hill:
University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 634.
James  Osler Bailey, The Poetry of Thomas Hardy:
A Handbook and Commentary
(Chapel Hill:
University of North Carolina Press, 1970), 634.
Richard Little Purdy, Thomas Hardy: A Bibliographical Study
(New Castle, Delaware: Oak Knoll Press, 2002), 187.
Richard Little Purdy, Thomas Hardy: A Bibliographical Study
(New Castle, Delaware: Oak Knoll Press, 2002), 131.