The Silver Swan

OK, so admit it. How many of you started singing when you read the heading of this blog? All those who have ever sung madrigals at one stage or other in their life must have sung "The Silver Swan" by Orlando Gibbons! I remember when living in NH we sang it way too many times. I think I actually liked it when I started out...but quickly overdosed! It's all about a dying swan who sang her last note..... Here are the lyrics:

The silver swan, who living had no note,
When death approach'd, unlock'd her silent throat;
Leaning her breast against the reedy shore,
Thus sung her first and last, and sung no more.
Farewell, all joys; O Death, come close mine eyes;
More geese than swans now live, more fools than wise.

Well, needless to say, on this occasion the song did not inspire the making of this latest necklace! It was only after I finished it and realized it was a silver swan that I became all melancholy - or depressed!

I made this swan for a friend as a gift for her mother, who loves swans! She obviously doesn't know the madrigal!!! :-D


Here's a good recording of the madrigal if you don't know it....Hmmm.. after years of abstinence, maybe I could actually quite like it again....