Monday, February 23, 2009

Carnevale!


The Oxford community celebrated Carnevale on Sunday 22 February. A festive supper based on the theme of the Venetian carnival was held in the priory refectory as part of our on-going fund-raising efforts for the Priory Renewal Fund. We were joined by members of our Mass congregations for a convivial evening which was punctuated by music.

fr Robert Verrill OP played a fanfare on his trumpet and a trio of friars sang a Tudor madrigal. A recording was made of this song and it is accompanied in the video below with photos from the evening.



The words of the madrigal, which is by Henry VIII, runs as follows:

"Pastime with good company
I love, and shall until I die.
Gruch who lust but none deny,
So God be pleas'd thus live will I.
For my pastance, hunt, sing, and dance, my heart is set
All goodly sport, for my comfort, who shall me let?

Youth must have some dalliance,
of good or ill some pastance.
Company methinks then best,
all thoughts and fancies to digest.
For idleness, is chief mistress of vices all
Then who can say but mirth and play is best of all.

Company with honesty,
Is virtue, vices to flee.
Company is good and ill,
but every man hath his free will.
The best ensue, the worst eschew, my mind shall be
Virtue to use, vice to refuse, thus shall I use me."

No comments:

Post a Comment