In 1999 Emma was voted Artist of the Year by Classic FM Radio listeners, and in November 2000 she received the Order of the British Empire.
Despite all the recording activity, Emma still prefers live concerts, especially the pleasure of repeating programmes with colleagues; every occasion, every venue and every audience will combine to create something new from this wonderful repertoire.
You Meaner Beauties Of The Night
Emma Kirkby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That poorly satisfy our eyes
More by your number than your light;
You common people of the skies,
What are you when the sun shall rise?
You curious chanters of the wood,
That warble forth Dame Nature's lays,Thinking your voices understood
By your weak accents; what's your praise
When Philomel her voice shall raise?
You violets that first appear,
By your pure purple mantles known,
Like the proud virgins of the year,
As if the spring were all your own;
What are you when the rose is blown?
So, when my mistress shall be seen
In form and beauty of her mind,
By virtue first, then choice, a queen,
Tell me, if she were not design'd
Th' eclipse and glory of her kind?
Sir Henry Wotton
The singer of Sir Henry Wotton's poem "You Meaner Beauties of the Night" questions the worth of beauty that is sub-par in comparison to that of a higher quality. The poem is divided into three stanzas, each addressing a different form of beauty that is inferior in its own way. The first stanza talks about stars, calling them "you meaner beauties of the night." The stars may fill the sky, but they offer little light or beauty. The second stanza addresses the birds, saying that their singing may be sweet to human ears, but it is not the harmonious beauty that Nature intended. The final stanza, the singer talks about violets and their fleeting beauty, comparing them to the rose that will blossom.
The last lines, where the singer says "When my mistress shall be seen / In form and beauty of her mind, / By virtue first, then choice, a queen," he poses a rhetorical question, asking if his mistress will be considered the eclipse and glory of her kind. By asking this question, the singer is trying to convey the idea that true beauty lies not in physical appearance, but in inner character and virtue.
Line by Line Meaning
You meaner beauties of the night,
Referring to the lesser-known stars in the sky at night,
That poorly satisfy our eyes
Stars which do not shine as bright as others and fail to please the eyes of anyone who gazes upon them.
More by your number than your light;
These stars can make up in quantity what they lack in brightness.
You common people of the skies,
These stars are like commoners in the sky compared to their more beautiful counterparts.
What are you when the sun shall rise?
These less beautiful and less bright stars disappear when the sun rises, revealing their insignificance.
You curious chanters of the wood,
Refers to the birds which sing in the woods.
That warble forth Dame Nature's lays,
These birds sing songs that come from the beauty of nature.
Thinking your voices understood
Although these birds believe their songs are understood by all, they are often incomprehensible to those who listen.
By your weak accents; what's your praise
Given their weak cries and songs, they are not praised in the same way as the much-loved nightingale.
When Philomel her voice shall raise?
What will happen to these lesser-known birds when compared to the beautiful voice of the nightingale.
You violets that first appear,
Spring flowers that bloom early and have a distinct purple color.
By your pure purple mantles known,
These flowers are known by their delicate purple appearance.
Like the proud virgins of the year,
These violets represent the pride of spring, acting like virgins of the season.
As if the spring were all your own;
They are so proud that they seem to own the whole spring season.
What are you when the rose is blown?
When compared to the magnificent rose blooms in summer, these violets certainly pale in comparison.
So, when my mistress shall be seen
The poet is talking about when his lover will be seen by others.
In form and beauty of her mind,
In her thoughts, as well as her beauty.
By virtue first, then choice, a queen,
She is a queen by virtue of her moral character, and also by choice.
Tell me, if she were not design'd
If she were not created to be something special.
Th' eclipse and glory of her kind?
Would she not outshine and stand out from everyone else? Would she not be both an eclipse and glory for her kind?
Contributed by Ellie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@BarrocoeBrahms
I know dear Dame Emma Kirkby since 1985 and since there she´s my favourite soprano ! this voice makes us happy and young! I´ve got more than 50 CDs with her voice! In early music I don´t need another So clear, so pure so cristaline!
@oldun52
Only a decade ago?? I first became aware of her in '79 and have been in love with her voice ever since. Though her voice has changed over the years, she is still one of the lovliest singers about.
@johannmarlowe
I'm far from proficient in Renaissance music, so this one was new to me. And what better introduction to it than the pure, elegant and graceful voice of Emma Kirkby?
@Muzikay
So great! The original CD was released in honor of Princess Diana's wedding, hence the name. I still have that original one, a stupendous collection of lute songs and part-songs.
@NatSci
One of the sweetest melodies of all time..
@cbhagman
Wow! I first heard Kirkby's performance of this on the radio a decade or so back and of course bought the CD. But I am thrilled to find this on YouTube (the better to forward the link to friends who don't know who Kirkby is). I just heard her sing at the National Gallery in Washington -- a wonderful concert.
@lalagonegaga
It hardly gets any greater than this...
@cepmk
I think that the words are by Sir Henry Wooton