This edition was prepared by David Anderson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Autumn Song
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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Autumn Song by Gustav Holst — Lyrics
Fair is the world, now autumn’s wearing,
And the sluggard sun lies long abed;
Sweet are the days, now winter’s nearing,
And all winds feign that the wind is dead.
Dumb is the hedge where the crabs hang yellow,
Bright as the blossoms of the spring;
Dumb is the close where the pears grow mellow,
And none but the dauntless redbreasts sing.
Fair was the spring, but amidst his greening
Grey were the days of the hidden sun;
Fair was the summer, but overweening,
So soon his o’ersweet days were done.
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About Autumn Song
This secular SATB setting of an English text by Gustav Holst evokes the gentle beauty of autumn. The words paint a picture of a world at rest, where the sun sleeps longer and winds are still. The composer captures the quiet charm of the season, from the yellowing crabapples to the mellowing pears, with only the robin’s song to break the silence. The text contrasts the present peace with the fleeting days of spring and summer, concluding with an invitation to love and find solace as the year’s harvest tide arrives. Holst’s part-song offers a reflective and atmospheric musical experience, ideal for a choir seeking to capture the mood of late autumn.
