Blest Pair of Sirens

Blest Pair of Sirens is a work for choir and orchestra by the English composer Hubert Parry, setting John Milton's ode At a solemn Musick.

At the same time the spirit and the accent of the words are carefully attended to, as befits a work in which "sphere-born harmonious sisters, voice and verse" are invoked to "wed their divine sounds, and mix'd power employ".

Among its higher-profile performances in the 21st century were those by BBC forces at the Last Night of the Proms in September 2010,[n 1] and by the choirs of Westminster Abbey and the Chapel Royal at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in April 2011.

Blest pair of Sirens, pledges of Heav'n's joy, Sphere-born harmonious sisters, Voice and Verse, Wed your divine sounds, and mixed pow'r employ, Dead things with inbreathed sense able to pierce; And to our high-raised phantasy present That undisturbed song of pure content, Aye sung before the sapphire-coloured throne To Him that sits thereon, With saintly shout, and solemn jubilee, Where the bright Seraphim in burning row Their loud uplifted angel-trumpets blow, And the Cherubic host in thousand quires Touch their immortal harps of golden wires, With those just Spirits that wear victorious palms, Hymns devout and holy psalms Singing everlastingly: That we on earth with undiscording voice May rightly answer that melodious noise; As once we did, till disproportioned sin Jarred against nature's chime, and with harsh din Broke the fair music that all creatures made To their great Lord, whose love their motion swayed In perfect diapason, whilst they stood In first obedience, and their state of good.

O may we soon again renew that song, And keep in tune with Heav'n, till God ere long To His celestial concert us unite, To live with Him, and sing in endless morn of light.