ORPHEUS BRITANNICUS

Crown the Altar,

Deck the Shrine
FROM

Celebrate this Festival, 1693,

Z321/6
COMPOSD

By Mr. Henry Purcell

FOR

Soprano
AND

A THROUGH-BASS
Copyright William F. Long, MMX

Crown the Altar, Deck the Shrine

Nahum Tate
voice

harpsichord

bass 2
(optional)
7

& .

&

Deck

& 43

3
& 4

Original in c minor

Crown

..
.

the

Al

# .

13

&

13

&

?
?

13

? 3
4

.
#

the

#
.

Shrine;

..
.

j
#

tar,

. J

Deck

Shrine,

..
.

Shrine,

Crown

the

..
.

# .

j
#

tar,

. #.# . . #.# .

Deck

# . #

#. # #. # .

Al

# #

# . # .

Be - hold,

# #
#

#

the

# # #

the

# #

? 43

Continuo realized by W. F. Long

? #

Henry Purcell

be-

"Crown the Altar, Deck the Shrine" is an aria from Celebrate this Festival (1693). It is found on page 6
of Book II of Orpheus Britannicus.
The bass is unfigured and, as usual with Purcell's compositions on a ground bass, the harmonies are
often ambiguous. This aria was adapted for a harpsichord piece, A Ground in D Minor. Though that
version does nothing to clarify the harmonies, it does clarify the continuo line by breaking it up into an
eighth note pattern in the tenor over a more slowly descending pattern in a bass part. That bass line has
been adapted for the optional bass 2 part in this version.
The song has been transposed down a third to a more comfortable tessitura.
William F. Long, 2009
Reproduction for non-commercial use permitted.

219

&

19

&

hold

the

25

&

25

&

throng

Bright

25

& .

31

mo-ny

& .

31

& J #

37

37

&

?
?

37

Quire

attend
too

# #

# ...

to

the

long;

..
.

Be - hold,

# ..
.

our

Har

cred

# # #

# ...

be - hold

..

Sa

# #

Se - ra - phick

# # j

join,

to

the bright

..
.

- mo - ny

join;

.
J

? #

31

J
J

throng,

# #

phick

Har -

our

..
.

pre - pare

Se - ra

. J

? #

19

Crown the Altar, Deck the Shrine

the

Bright

Se -

.
&

43

ra

& ...

43

43

- phick

& b

49

49

Har -

&

49

55

61

& .

&

61

61

the

# #

join,

to

- mo - ny

..
.

.
J

&

# #

& .

join,

the Bright

# ..
.

Se - ra - phick

Har

# ..
.

# ...

cred

# #
#

pre - pare

our

mo-ny

to

J
J

# #

# # #

# # j

Sa

throng,

# .

our

..

55

55

throng,

Crown the Altar, Deck the Shrine

J #

Quire

at-tend to

Crown

..
.

long

..
.

# #

the

Al

# .

j
#

tar

467

& .

67

&

Deck

the

? #

67

73

&

73

&

?
?

73

Crown

..
.

&

79

Deck

Al

# .

j
#

tar

# . #

# . # .

the

# # #

# . # .

? #

79

the

& . . #. # .

79

. # .# . . # . # .

Shrine

..
.

Shrine,

Crown the Altar, Deck the Shrine

the

Shrine.

..
.

.
.

Deck

Shrine,

#
.

.
..
.

the

. # .#

Deck

# . #

# #

Soprano &
Continuo

Crown the Altar, Deck the Shrine

Nahum Tate

& 43
? 43

& .

Original in c minor

# #

Crown

the

Al

? #

Deck

&

the

&

Deck

the

# #

Shrine,

the

25

& .

31

Crown

the

tar,

# # #

Shrine,

Deck

the

JJ

mo-ny

attend
too

out

& J #

37

long;

to

Se - ra

pre - pare

Bright

Quire

Al

. #.# . . #.# .

.
J

throng

Be - hold,

? #

# #
#

#

hold

tar,

. J

Shrine;

19

&

13

Henry Purcell

Har -

phick

b
-

throng,

- mo - ny

to

#
#

join;

the

the bright

join,

our

Se - ra - phick

#
#

Har

# # j

Sa

cred

# # #

Be - hold,

.
J

be-

be - hold

the

Bright

Se -

William F. Long, 2009

Reproduction for non-commercial use permitted.

Crown the Altar, Deck the Shrine

.
&

43

ra

- phick

& b

throng,

Har -

- mo - ny

& .

55

to

? # #

join,

61

& .

the

the Bright

.
J

49

Se - ra - phick

Har

cred

& .

? #
Deck

73

&

the

Shrine,

the

Al

tar

# # #

Deck

the

& . . #. # .
#

the

Shrine.

out

at-tend to

Crown

. # .# . . # . # .

Shrine

79

Crown

Quire

? # # #

67

pre - pare

J #

# # #

J
J

# #

our

throng,

# # j

Sa

# .

join,

the

mo-ny

to

long

Al

tar

. # .#

Deck

the

# #

Shrine,

Deck

Soprano &
Harpsichord

Crown the Altar, Deck the Shrine

Henry Purcell

Nahum Tate
voice

harpsichord

& .

&

Deck

& 43

3
& 4

? 43

Original in c minor

Crown

..
.

the

Al

# .

&

13

&

.
#

the

#
.

19

&

the

Shrine,

the

? #

Bright

Crown

the

..
.

j
#

tar,

# #

..
.

Deck

# . #

# . # .

the

# # #

..
.

# .

. #.# . . #.# .

. J

Al

Se - ra

phick

throng,

# ...

be-

the bright

# #

Be - hold,

# #
#

#

hold

Deck

# . # # . # .

..
.

&

. J

Shrine,

Shrine;

19

tar,

# #

j
#

Continuo realized by W. F. Long

? #

13

Se - ra - phick

William F. Long, 2009

Reproduction for non-commercial use permitted.

Crown the Altar, Deck the Shrine

25

&

25

&

throng

?
& .

31

pre - pare

out

JJ
mo-ny

& .

Har -

31

to

? #

& J #

37

37

&

Quire

attend
too

.
&

43

ra

& ...

43

- phick

& b
Har -

&

join;

..
.

the

# #

..
.

the Bright

# #

.
J

- mo - ny

to

join,

..

Se - ra - phick

..

# ...

cred

the

Bright

Se -

out

pre - pare

throng,

# ..
.

# ..
.

# # #

# .
Har

Har

# # j

our

be - hold

our

Be - hold,

join,

Sa

to

# ..
.

- mo - ny

throng,

49

49

long;

# #

.
J

J
J
mo-ny

to

# #

Crown the Altar, Deck the Shrine

& .

..
.

55

55

&

join,

61

& .

&

61

67

&

Deck

73

73

&

Sa

# ...

cred

Quire

the

Shrine,

Crown

..
.

&

the

Crown

..
.

Al

# .

j
#

tar

. # .# . . # . # .

..
.

Deck

# . #

# . # .

the

# # #

& . . #. # .

79

# . # .

? #

the

Shrine.

..
.

long

..
.

# #

at-tend to

Shrine

79

# # #

? #
&

the

J #

# #
#

& .

67

# # j

# #

the

#
.

Deck

Al

# .

j
#

tar

.
the

#
.

. # .#

..
.

Shrine,

Deck

# . #

# #

Soprano

Crown the Altar, Deck the Shrine

Henry Purcell

Nahum Tate

3
&4

. J

Original in c minor

Crown the

&

Al - tar,

the

the

Shrine,

Crown the

Al - tar,

Shrine,

Deck

gamba

throng,

the bright

Se - ra - phick

& # .
Har

& J #

37

Quire

&

.
J

throng,

mo-ny

at-tend too

long;

.
J

the Bright

Se - ra - phick

& # .

52

Har

& J # .

59

Quire

68

&

Shrine,

at-tend to

Crown the

pre - pare out

& . . #. # .
the

throng,

to

Shrine,

join;

Be - hold,

Al - tar

75

mo-ny

to

J
J
.

long

throng

J
J

30

44

Deck

the

j j
& # #
J

Be - hold, be - hold the Bright Se J
22
.
. .
j b
&
J
.

J
J
14

. .

. #. # . . #. # .

Deck

Har

the

be - hold

Har

to

join, our

- cred

. J

Bright Se - ra

phick

Sa -

gamba

the

mo - ny

to

join, our

# # j

the

Crown the

Shrine

Al - tar

- cred

. J

Deck

the

. #. #
Deck

. #. # . . #. # .
Deck

phick

b j
.
J

. .

Deck

ra

mo - ny

the

Sa -

join,

. J

# # j

pre - pare out

Shrine;

the

Shrine.

William F. Long, 2009

Reproduction for non-commercial use permitted.

Harpsichord

Crown the Altar, Deck the Shrine

Henry Purcell

Nahum Tate

& 43 ...

j
#

Continuo realized by W. F. Long

# .

# .
..

j
#

# .

# #
? 3 # # #

&

#
.

..
.

# . #

# . # . #

..
.

# # #
#
? #

& # . # # . # .

14

# # #
? # #

& ...

21

# ...

# # #

28

&
n

..

# ..
.

. #

..
.

#
? # # #
#

& # ..
.

35

..
.

# #

# # #
William F. Long, 2009
Reproduction for non-commercial use permitted.

Crown the Altar, Deck the Shrine

&

42

..
.

# ..
.

# # #
?

49

&

&

&

..

# ..
.

#
.

..
.

#
? # # #

56

# ...

# .
..

# #

..
.

j
#

# . #

? # # #
# #

63

# ...

# .

# # #
#
? #

& # .

70

j
#

. #

..
.

#
# . # .

# # #
? # #

& ...

77

# . #

#
# . # .

..
.

# # #

Viola da Gamba

Crown the Altar, Deck the Shrine

Nahum Tate
bass

# #

? 43

Henry Purcell

# #

? 43

7

# # #
? #

bass 2
(optional)

# #
#

13

19
? #
13

19

25

25

? #

31

31

37

37

43
? #

43

# #

# #

# # #

#


#

William F. Long, 2009

Reproduction for non-commercial use permitted.

Crown the Altar, Deck the Shrine

49

49

#
#

55

# #

# # #

#
61
? # # #

55

61

? #

67

67

73

79

# #
#

# # #

79
? #
73

# #

This aria was adapted for a harpsichord piece, A Ground in D Minor. That version clarifies the continuo line by
breaking it up into an eighth note pattern in the tenor over a more slowly descending pattern in a bass part. That
bass line has been adapted for the optional bass 2 part in this version. If another instrument, e.g. the harpsichord,
plays the regular bass line, the gambist (cellist, bassoonist, etc.) may play the bass 2 part