Farewell, the smoky town (Thomas Arne)
Music files
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- (Posted 2025-10-09) CPDL #87090:
- Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2025-10-09). Score information: A4, 4 pages, 156 kB Copyright: CC BY SA
- Edition notes: Please click on the link for preview/playback/PDF download. This edition includes the original instrumental accompaniment.
- (Posted 2025-10-09) CPDL #87089:
- Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2025-10-09). Score information: A4, 3 pages, 90 kB Copyright: CC BY SA
- Edition notes: Please click on the link for preview/playback/PDF download. This edition includes a keyboard reduction of the original instrumental accompaniment.
General Information
Title: Farewell, the smoky town
Composer: Thomas Arne
Lyricist:
Number of voices: 1v Voicing: solo high
Genre: Secular, Aria
Language: English
Instruments: Basso continuo, violin
First published: 1760
Description: Probably written for performance at Vauxhall.
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
Farewell, the smoky town, adieu!
Farewell, each rude and sensual joy:
Gay, fleeting pleasures all untrue,
That in possession cloy.
Far from the garnish'd scene I'll fly,
Where folly keeps her court;
To wholesome sound philosophy,
And harmless rural sport.
How happy is the humble cell,
How blest the deep retreat;
Where sorrow's billows never swell,
Nor passion's tempests beat.
But safely through the sea of life,
Calm reason wafts us o'er;
Free from ambition, noise and strife,
To death's eternal shore.