Joseph Corfe (arr.)
(1740 - 1820)

Pinkie House
(S.A.T.B. + reduction)
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Corfe, organist of Salisbury Cathedral, 1792 - 1804, issued two sets of "Twelve glees.... composed from ancient Scotch melodies" in the early 1790s, to satisfy two contemporary enthusiasms: that for mixed sex social music, and that for all things North-British. The current arrangement comes from the first set.

These glees were selected from a repertoire of well-known Scottish songs that had been anthologised in the previous seventy years. Corfe appears to have been particularly indebted for source material to James Johnson's "Scots Musical Museum", Edinburgh 1787, which included texts edited and improved by Robert Burns. Verses that are not underlaid were not included by Corfe, and have been imported from external sources (most especially the aforementioned "Scots Musical Museum").
Lyrics: Anon

By Pinkie House oft let me walk
While, circled in my arms,
I hear my Nelly sweetly talk,
And gaze o'er all her charms.
O, let me, ever fond, behold
Those graces void of art;
Those cheerful smiles, that sweetly hold
In willing chains my heart.

O come my love, and bring anew
That gentle turn of mind;
That gracefulness of air, in you
By nature's hand designed;
That beauty, like the blushing rose,
First lighted up this flame,
Which. like the sun, forever glows
Within my breast the same.

Ye light coquettes, ye airy things,
How vain is all your art!
How seldom it a lover brings,
How rarely keeps a heart!
O, gather from my Nelly's charms
That sweet, that graceful ease;
That blushing modesty that warms;
That native art to please.

Come then my love, O come along,
And feed me with thy charms:
Come fair inspirer of my song,
O fill my longing arms.
A flame like mine can never die
While charms so bright as thine,
So heavenly fair, both please the eye
And fill the soul divine.