by William Blake (1757 - 1827)
I saw a chapel all of gold
Language: English
I saw a chapel all of gold That none did dare to enter in, And many weeping stood without, Weeping, mourning, worshipping. I saw a serpent rise between The white pillars of the door, And he forc'd and forc'd and forc'd, Down the golden hinges tore. And along the pavement sweet, Set with pearls and rubies bright, All his slimy length he drew Till upon the altar white Vomiting his poison out On the bread and on the wine. So I turn'd into a sty And laid me down among the swine.
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Text Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "I saw a chapel", first published 1863 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by (William) Havergal Brian (1876 - 1972), "The defiled sanctuary", 1919, published 1920 [ medium voice and piano ], from Three Songs for Medium Voice, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Linton Gardner (1917 - 2011), "I saw a chapel all of gold ", op. 138 no. 5 (c1977) [ double chorus of mixed chorus a cappella ], from Nine poems from the note-book (1793) of William Blake, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Peter) Alexander Goehr (b. 1932), "I saw a chapel all of gold ", op. 17 no. 3 (1964), published c1965 [ mixed chorus a cappella ], from Five Poems and an Epigram of William Blake, no. 3, London : Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by Frank Lewin (1925 - 2008), "I saw a chapel", published 1960, first performed 1961 [ soprano and chamber ensemble ], from Innocence and Experience, no. 6, New York, American Composers Alliance [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-11-10
Line count: 16
Word count: 92