This edition was prepared by James Gibb — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
A song of Winter
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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A song of Winter by John Liptrot Hatton — Lyrics
Loud blow the winds with blust'ring breath,
And snow falls cold upon the heath,
And hill and vale look drear;
The torrent foams with headlong roar,
The trees their chilly loads deplore,
And drop the icy tear.
The little birds, with wishful eye,
For alms unto my cottage fly,
Since they can boast no hoard:
In at the door the pilgrims peep,
But Robin will not distance keep,
So perches on my board.
Loud blow the winds...
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About A song of Winter
This four-part men's ensemble song, A Song of Winter, captures the stark beauty and biting cold of the season. Hatton's setting of this English text vividly portrays the harsh weather, from the blustering winds and falling snow to the icy torrents and the trees shedding their frozen burdens. The music evokes the bleakness of the landscape, then offers a warm, sheltering contrast as the narrator invites the shivering birds and pilgrims to take refuge and sustenance within. The ATBB voicing allows for a rich, resonant sound, perfectly suited to depicting both the external harshness and the internal comfort described in the text.
