A Lost Chord
Poem by Adelaide Anne Procter (1825-1864) — First published in The English Woman's Journal (March 1860, p.36)
Link to page 1
Changes to the poem
All composers who set Adelaide Procter's poem made changes to the text. Most changed her title from "A Lost Chord" to "The Lost Chord". Most of the changes are listed below. Perhaps the most subtle change, though, which all composers seem to have used, was to the first line of the penultimate verse: originally — "I have sought, and I seek it vainly", this became — "I have sought, but I seek it vainly".
The logical explanation for this is that the word "but" is stronger and seems, in any case, to make more sense. But, surely Adelaide Procter must have considered this. In fact, her original version of this line has a slightly different meaning, implying that the search for the lost chord still continues, where as the altered text seems to imply (despite the word "seek") that the search has now stopped.
Poem by Adelaide Anne Procter (1825-1864) — First published in The English Woman's Journal (March 1860, p.36)
Link to page 1
Changes to the poem
All composers who set Adelaide Procter's poem made changes to the text. Most changed her title from "A Lost Chord" to "The Lost Chord". Most of the changes are listed below. Perhaps the most subtle change, though, which all composers seem to have used, was to the first line of the penultimate verse: originally — "I have sought, and I seek it vainly", this became — "I have sought, but I seek it vainly".
The logical explanation for this is that the word "but" is stronger and seems, in any case, to make more sense. But, surely Adelaide Procter must have considered this. In fact, her original version of this line has a slightly different meaning, implying that the search for the lost chord still continues, where as the altered text seems to imply (despite the word "seek") that the search has now stopped.
The original poem
A Lost Chord
by Adelaide Anne Procter
First appearance in print from The English Woman's Journal (March 1860)
Adelaide Anne Procter (1825-1864)
Illustration from Eminent Women (James Parton 1883)
She collaborated with Charles Dickens and became a famous poet.
(Her surname was sometimes misspelled Proctor.)
Composers who altered the title from "A lost Chord" to "The Lost Chord"
Anon, "Rita", Bernstein, Blockley, Hall, Herz, Hutchison (Mount), Montana, Read, Robinson, Romer, Sullivan
Other changes as follows:
Verse 2, line 1
Original: I do not know what I was playing
Changed to: I know not what I was playing — by: Armstrong, Bernstein, Hall, Read, Robinson, Sullivan
Changed to: I knew not what I was playing — by: Caldicott, Hutchison/Mount
Changed to: I did not know what I was playing — by: Montana
Verse 2, line 2
Original: Or what I was dreaming then
Changed to: Or what I was dreaming there — by: Robinson
Verse 2, line 4
Original: Like the sound of a great Amen
Changed to: Like the sound of the great Amen — by: Herz
Verse 3, line 3
Original: And it lay on my fevered spirit
Changed to: And it lay on my sever'd spirit — by: "Rita"
Changed to: And it lay on my wearied spirit — by: Hutchison/Mount
Verse 3, line 4
Original: With a touch of infinite calm
Changed to: With a touch of an infinite calm — by: Blockley
Changed to: With a touch of holy calm — by: "Rita", Hall, Robinson
Verse 4 not set by Robinson
Verse 4, line 2
Original: Like love overcoming strife
Changed to: Like love o'ercoming strife — by: Anon, "Rita", Blockley, Hutchison/Mount, Watkyn
Verse 4, line 3
Original: It seemed the harmonious echo
Changed to: It seemed an harmonious echo — by: "Rita", Hall, Robinson
Changed to: Tt seemed a harmonious echo — by: Montana
Verse 5 not set by Robinson
Verse 5, line 1
Original: It linked all perplexèd meanings
Changed to: It linked all perplex'd meanings — by: Blockley
Verse 5, line 2
Original: Into one perfect peace
Changed to: Into one of perfect peace — by: "Rita"
Verse 5, line 3
Original: And trembled away into silence
Changed to: And trembled away in silence — Hutchison (Mount), Watkyn
Changed to: And kindled away into silence — by: Anon
Verse 6 not set by Hutchison/Mount
Verse 6, line 1
Original: I have sought and I seek it vainly
Changed to: I have sought but sought it vainly — by: "Rita"
Changed to: I have sought but I seek it vainly —
— by: Armstrong, Anon, Bernstein, Blockley, Caldicott, Macfarren, Montana, Read, Romer, Sullivan, Waley, Watkyn
Changed to: I have sought it but I seek it vainly — by: Hall
Changed to: I have sought but seek it vainly — by: Herz
Changed to: I've have sought but seek seek it vainly — by: Robinson
Verse 6, line 2
Original: That one lost chord divine
Changed to: That long lost chord divine — by: Blockley
Verse 6, line 3
Original: That came from the soul of the organ
Changed to: Which came from the soul of the organ —
— by: Armstrong, Anon (Beethoven), Bernstein, Caldicott, Hutchison, Macfarren, Pinney, Read, "Rita", Robinson, Romer, Sullivan, Waley, Watkyn
Changed to: It came from the soul of the organ — by: Robinson
Verse 7, line 3
Original: It may be that only in Heaven
Changed to: It may be that only in Heav'n — by: "Rita", Caldicott, (Hall is ambiguous), Read, Robinson, Romer, Sullivan
Verse 7, line 4
Original: I shall hear that grand Amen
Changed to: I shall hear that great/grand Amen — by: Armstrong (who reverts to the original in a repeat of the line)
Changed to: I shall hear the great Amen — by: Herz
Changed to: I shall hear that great Amen — by: Bernstein
Anon, "Rita", Bernstein, Blockley, Hall, Herz, Hutchison (Mount), Montana, Read, Robinson, Romer, Sullivan
Other changes as follows:
Verse 2, line 1
Original: I do not know what I was playing
Changed to: I know not what I was playing — by: Armstrong, Bernstein, Hall, Read, Robinson, Sullivan
Changed to: I knew not what I was playing — by: Caldicott, Hutchison/Mount
Changed to: I did not know what I was playing — by: Montana
Verse 2, line 2
Original: Or what I was dreaming then
Changed to: Or what I was dreaming there — by: Robinson
Verse 2, line 4
Original: Like the sound of a great Amen
Changed to: Like the sound of the great Amen — by: Herz
Verse 3, line 3
Original: And it lay on my fevered spirit
Changed to: And it lay on my sever'd spirit — by: "Rita"
Changed to: And it lay on my wearied spirit — by: Hutchison/Mount
Verse 3, line 4
Original: With a touch of infinite calm
Changed to: With a touch of an infinite calm — by: Blockley
Changed to: With a touch of holy calm — by: "Rita", Hall, Robinson
Verse 4 not set by Robinson
Verse 4, line 2
Original: Like love overcoming strife
Changed to: Like love o'ercoming strife — by: Anon, "Rita", Blockley, Hutchison/Mount, Watkyn
Verse 4, line 3
Original: It seemed the harmonious echo
Changed to: It seemed an harmonious echo — by: "Rita", Hall, Robinson
Changed to: Tt seemed a harmonious echo — by: Montana
Verse 5 not set by Robinson
Verse 5, line 1
Original: It linked all perplexèd meanings
Changed to: It linked all perplex'd meanings — by: Blockley
Verse 5, line 2
Original: Into one perfect peace
Changed to: Into one of perfect peace — by: "Rita"
Verse 5, line 3
Original: And trembled away into silence
Changed to: And trembled away in silence — Hutchison (Mount), Watkyn
Changed to: And kindled away into silence — by: Anon
Verse 6 not set by Hutchison/Mount
Verse 6, line 1
Original: I have sought and I seek it vainly
Changed to: I have sought but sought it vainly — by: "Rita"
Changed to: I have sought but I seek it vainly —
— by: Armstrong, Anon, Bernstein, Blockley, Caldicott, Macfarren, Montana, Read, Romer, Sullivan, Waley, Watkyn
Changed to: I have sought it but I seek it vainly — by: Hall
Changed to: I have sought but seek it vainly — by: Herz
Changed to: I've have sought but seek seek it vainly — by: Robinson
Verse 6, line 2
Original: That one lost chord divine
Changed to: That long lost chord divine — by: Blockley
Verse 6, line 3
Original: That came from the soul of the organ
Changed to: Which came from the soul of the organ —
— by: Armstrong, Anon (Beethoven), Bernstein, Caldicott, Hutchison, Macfarren, Pinney, Read, "Rita", Robinson, Romer, Sullivan, Waley, Watkyn
Changed to: It came from the soul of the organ — by: Robinson
Verse 7, line 3
Original: It may be that only in Heaven
Changed to: It may be that only in Heav'n — by: "Rita", Caldicott, (Hall is ambiguous), Read, Robinson, Romer, Sullivan
Verse 7, line 4
Original: I shall hear that grand Amen
Changed to: I shall hear that great/grand Amen — by: Armstrong (who reverts to the original in a repeat of the line)
Changed to: I shall hear the great Amen — by: Herz
Changed to: I shall hear that great Amen — by: Bernstein