Rossini opera adaptation, 1842 New York civic ceremony, operatic soprano with pianoforte, allegro moderato 116 BPM, bel canto vocal style, Italian opera chorus arranged for American audience, Armida opera, dolce legato middle section, triplet vocal ornaments, stately triumphant opening, lyrical pastoral interlude, 3/4 waltz time, warm reverberant concert hall, New York Sacred Music Society chorus, no drums, no electric instruments, no guitar, soprano solo with mixed chorus, grand fermata ending, celebratory anthem
[Grand Piano Introduction - Allegro Moderato, 3/4 time] [Verse 1 - Soprano Solo with Piano, Stately] Gushing from this living fountain, Music pours a falling strain, As the Goddess of the Mountain Comes with all her sparkling train. [Key Change to A Major - Dolce, Legato, Triplet Ornaments] From her grotto-springs advancing, Glittering in her feathery spray, Woodland fays beside her dancing, She pursues her winding way. [Repeat with Crescendo, Building to Grand Fermata] She pursues her winding way, Her winding way, her winding way... [Piano Interlude] [Verse 2 - Soprano with Light Piano] Gently o’er the rippling water, In her coral-shallop bright, Glides the rock-king’s dove-eyed daughter, Deck’d in robes of virgin white. Nymphs and naiads, sweetly smiling, Urge her bark with pearly hand, Merrily the sylph beguiling From the nooks of fairy-land. [Verse 3 - Growing in Intensity] Swimming on the snow-curled billow, See the river-spirits fair, Lay their cheeks, as on a pillow, With the foam-beads in their hair. Thus attended, hither wending, Floats the lovely oread now, Eden’s arch of promise bending Over her translucent brow. [Verse 4 - Full Chorus Joins, Forte] Hail the wanderer from a far-land! Bind her flowing tresses up! Crown her with a fadeless garland, And with crystal brim the cup. From her haunts of deep seclusion, Let Intemp’rance greet her too, And the heat of his delusion Sprinkle with this mountain-dew. [Verse 5 - Triumphant] Water leaps as if delighted, While her conquered foes retire! Pale Contagion flies affrighted With the baffled demon Fire! Safety dwells in her dominions, Health and Beauty with her move, And entwine their circling pinions In a sisterhood of love. [Verse 6 - Reverent, Piano] Water shouts a glad hosanna! Bubbles up the earth to bless! Cheers it like the precious manna, In the barren wilderness. Here we wondering gaze, assembled Like the grateful Hebrew band, When the hidden fountain trembled, And obeyed the prophet’s wand. [Final Verse 7 - Grand Finale, Full Chorus, Fortissimo] Round the Aqueducts of story, As the mists of Lethe throng, Croton’s waves, in all their glory, Troop in melody along. Ever sparkling, bright and single, Will this rock-ribbed stream appear, When Posterity shall mingle Like the gathered waters here. [Grand Piano Postlude with Fermata]
| Title | The Celebrated Croton Ode |
| Lyrics | George P. Morris, Esq. — at the request of the Corporation of the City of New York |
| Music | Arranged & adapted from Rossini’s Opera of Armida by Sidney Pearson |
| Performers | Mr S. Strong, Miss J. Pearson, Mr. J. Pearson, and the Members of the New York Sacred Music Society |
| Occasion | Sung in front of the Park Fountain, October 14, 1842 |
| Publisher | Atwill, 201 Broadway, New York |
| Source | Rossini — "Coro di Ninfe" (Chorus of Nymphs), Act III of Armida (1817) |
| Key | C major (intro/verses) → A major (Dolce middle section) |
| Time | 3/4 (waltz time) |
| Tempo | Allegro Moderato (~116 BPM) |
| Scoring | Soprano voice + Pianoforte |
| Source PDF | Levy Sheet Music Collection, Sheridan Libraries, Johns Hopkins University |
On October 14, 1842, an estimated 100,000 New Yorkers — half the city’s population — gathered to celebrate the arrival of clean Croton River water via the 41-mile aqueduct. The Croton Ode was the centerpiece of the ceremony at City Hall Park, sung by professional soloists and the Sacred Music Society chorus as water erupted from the new fountain for the first time. George P. Morris was one of America’s most popular poets; Sidney Pearson chose Rossini’s “Coro di Ninfe” from Armida as the musical setting — a nymph chorus perfectly suited to Morris’s imagery of water goddesses and woodland fays.