"Oh, soft was the song" is a song with words by Gilbert Parker set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1910, as his Op. 59, No. 3. It is the second and last verse of a poem "At Sea" which Parker published in Volume I of a series of poems called "Embers". The Opus 59 songs were part of a song-cycle of six romantic songs by Parker that was never completed – Nos 1, 2 and 4 were never composed. The other songs were "Was it some Golden Star?" and "Twilight". The songs were originally written with piano accompaniment, but this was later re-scored by the composer for full orchestra.
Contents
The songs were composed between December 1909 and January 1910, and published by Novello's in 1910. Elgar's friend Edward Speyer sent him as a Christmas present some music scores of Beethoven String Quartets, and when Elgar thanked Speyer he added to his letter a quotation from Beethoven's Op.59 No.3.
The first performance was by Muriel Foster at the Jaeger Memorial Concert in the Queen's Hall on 24 January 1910.
Lyrics
OH, SOFT WAS THE SONG
Oh, soft was the song in my soul, and soft beyond thought were thy lips, And the way that I go is the way of thy feet, and the breath that I breathe