Fand Catalogue

  

Death, be not proud

for Sixteen-part Choir and Soloists

(SSAATTBB divisi with S & A soloists)

Martin Read

John Donne’s 1609 sonnet, Death, be not proud, left a lasting impression on Martin, who first came across it recited at the funeral of his father-in-law, Dr Gordon Ratcliffe, in 1987.

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and Dreadful, thou art not soe;
For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore Death, nor yet cans’t thou kill mee.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure; then from thee do go.
Then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe.

Rest of their bones, and soul’s deliverie,
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men.
And dost with poyson, warre and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie or charmes can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell’st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

It was set to music in 1992 for sixteen-part choir with soprano and alto solo voices, for David Hill and Winchester Cathedral Choir.

The work can be heard on the Martin Read – A Celebration CD.

Sample pages

(Click to enlarge)

	Composer	Title	Forces	Duration
	Martin Read Words: John Donne	Death, be not proud for Sixteen-part Choir and Soloists (SSAATTBB divisi with S & A soloists)	Soprano, Alto, Choir (SSAATTBB)	6¼ mins

Catalogue code: FM291 • Published: 18th April 2025
Entry last updated: 18th April 2025