THE PURPLE COW John Kilpatrick words by Gelett Burgess SATB (div) with optional piano accompaniment ©1999, 2003 John Kilpatrick To my Mother, who introduced me to The Burgess Nonsense Book 1. The Purple Cow John Kilpatrick words by Gelett Burgess Piano 1 Andante 4 I I somewhat dreamily 9 I I 13 I saw, ne - ver ne - ver saw I ne - ver hope to I ne - ver hope to saw I ne - ver hope, I ne - ver hope, cow, I ne - ver hope, I ne - ver hope, I © John Kilpatrick 1999, 2003 pur pur a pur -2- ne - ver ne - ver hope - - ple ple ple ple pur - - a - - see, see, cow, a saw ne - ver a saw ne - ver saw, nev - er I saw, nev - er ne - ver cow, ne - ver saw, cow, I hope ne - ver hope to to to see, to see, to to 17 see one. see one. see one. see 21 one. I can you, an - y - how, how, how, rit. I can tell you, can tell you, I can tell, But I can tell, an - an - an I'd I'd tell you, tell y - how, y - how, y - how, you, tell you, y - y - - an - - an an see, I'd see be see, I'd ra - ther than ra - ther ra - ther see be ra - ther see, I'd ra - ther than see than be a tempo -3- than ther see - see, ra - ther ther I'd you, you, tell tell an - y - how, you, tell a tempo I'd ra I'd ra an - y - how, can - an - y - how, But an - y - how, you, rit. how, But 25 you, tell tell tell you, tell I But but be y one. one. one. one. 2. The Purpil Cowe allegro 1 soli S T ... ... Narrator A tenor solo La la la la la la la Mayde there was, seme - ly ... ... and ... meek en- ... -4- La La la la la La la la la ... ... allegro piano 7 B A To be sung throughout with modern English pronunciation, where possible. a - milk - en of Maye, 12 ow, Ro - sy hire Cheke sate she 17 as -5- pur - pil a in the Month of Cowe: 22 And sik - er - ly her in ooh ooh ooh Ooh Ooh two. ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh -6- ooh ooh ooh ooh Like Shene of Sterres, sperk - led hire Ey - en Larke up - rist, Ooh Ooh Dewe; the ooh ooh of ooh wash - en As gay was 27 Songe mer - ry ooh ooh ooh 34 La la la ... ... La la la ... ... La la la ... ... 40 Way a la ... ... Knight The Now in mor - wen - ing -7- that Mayde es - pi - en came ther by hen - dy la La 45 Light. A 51 Berd and Co - rage -8- With lus - ty trewe ro - dy Hewe. of Chekes of Per - son he was faire rit. Knight 57 Dere slower I I I I slower 64 Con- trie made ple ple bass solo La - dye ne far - - ne - saw ver saw cow poco ritard a tempo Ah Ah Ah a tempo -9- a a pur I vowe ah I I I ah - pur - Ere -whiles I ah pur ah - - pur Par - dé Ah a a in straunge ver Un -couthe Ad - ven - ture saw - cow saw ver Ware. ne Fro Ber -wicke un - to ver and wide I've straied poco ritard cow (quod he) ple ne (quod he) cow ple I 71 ne - ver saw ne - ne - ne - ne - a ver hope ver ver Ah Ah me I pray knowe to how Ca - tel see see one hope to see one to you, of yore cour - te - sie! - 10 - can thus one one see I to Fayne wold hope Ah Cowe! pur - pil hope Tel Ah ver be? 77 83 atempo atempo 88 la .... la la .... la la .... The Mayde hire The The The slower - 11 - slower ... ... ... ... la .... La la la la La La La Mayde hire Mayde Mayde Mil - ken Mil - ken stent. stent. hire Mil - ken hire stent. Mil - ken stent. 92 Maid alto solo In free time Good Sir andante Mm the Mm (she saide) mm mm mm In free time 95 ... ... ... ... De - crees that on in these us y - laid mm mm mm andante ment (she saide) mm Man - de - Mm Mas - ter's mm Mm y - clept gil - - 12 - den Houres Hys Kyne shall ete, 97 his Kyne shall ete, 100 Vy - - - - - shall ete of nought but let, - 13 - (ad lib.) Vy - - let Floures! 30/8/97 3. Confession S A B piano T Forcefully moderato moderato Ah yes, Ah yes, yes, I Ah wrote it. But wrote it. I wrote Ah But wrote the yes, I wrote the (i.e. B major) but I can tell can tell Pur - ple Cow. Pur - Pur - can tell I'm I'm - ple Cow. I'm sor - an - y - how, I'll I ry I now ry now I ry now I an - y - how, I'll an - y - how, I'll if you quote it. kill you - 14 - now - sor sor you ple Cow. I'm you sor - ry you can tell you Pur - ple Cow. But I I the I wrote it. Ah yes I wrote the But I, wrote it. 1 4 an - y - how, I'll kill you kill you if you quote it. if you quote it. kill you if you quote it. The Purple Cow Words by Gelett Burgess from “The Burgess Nonsense Book” also published by Dover Publications, Inc., in “The Purple Cow and Other Nonsense” set to music by John Kilpatrick Unaccompanied version, August 1999 - first performed by the Lydian Singers, Sheffield. Version with piano accompaniment, January 2003. 1. The Purple Cow p. 2 2. The Purpil Cowe p. 4 Narrator in G - Knight in F - Maid in Eb 3. Confession p. 14 the above are intended to be performed as a suite The work may be sung unaccompanied by making omissions as follows: No. 1. Bars 1 to 8 Omit the piano introduction. Bars 17 & 18 Omit the second half of bar 17, and the first half of 18; insert a comma, or a pause on the word “one.” No. 2. Bars 1 to 4 Omit the 4 piano bars. Bars 32 to 34 The Tenors and Basses should start the “la la la” two bars early (in bar 32), and bars 33 & 34 should otherwise be omitted. Bars 55 & 56 Omit. A small rallentando and pause may be added to bar 54. Bar 83 The Tenors and Basses sing one extra bar of “la la la” where the piano would otherwise provide this rhythm. No. 3. Bar 0 Omit the piano run-in. Bar 4 No change except for the omission of the matching piano run. - 15 - Other Works by John Kilpatrick With words by Gelett Burgess, from the Burgess Nonsense Book The Knave of Hearts (SATB) With words by Edward Lear The Jumblies (SATB div.) The Dong (SATB div.) Words and music by John Kilpatrick My Briefcase (SATB div., piano acc.) The Purple Cow January 2003 John Kilpatrick, 135 Twentywell Lane, Sheffield S17 4QA [email protected]
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