ABSTRACT
Henry Rowley Bishop's setting suggests a faster tempo and is harmonically more complicated than Sir John Stevenson's but still bears a greater resemblance to the air. It is worth noting that Bishop retained the same chordal staccato figures from the introduction in the accompaniment to the verse, providing further integration of his material. The material used by Bishop in the vocal accompaniment is also altered from one verse to the next, subtly complementing Thomas Moore's text and elevating the strophic verse towards a more sophisticated art song. This chapter discusses the strategy of varying material between interludes and verses in order to complement Moore's text and add general interest to the song increased noticeably throughout Bishop's work. The circumstance of Moore's payments to Bishop poses an interesting question in relation to work on the later Melodies, as the poet may have completed an occasional duet arrangement himself in order to save money on the composer's fee.
