This edition was prepared by David Anderson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Come home
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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Come home by John Harrison Tenney — Lyrics
Come home, come home from o’er the sea!
We wait, we sigh, we pray for thee;
In foreign climes no longer roam,
Our hearts all cry, “Come home, come home!”
For twice her sheaf hath autumn bound,
The winter snow twice wrapped the ground,
The spring hath bloomed, the summers shone
In glorious robes since thou art gone.
Again the summer’s evening breeze
Comes murmuring through the rustling trees;
Her moon beams bright on spire and dome,
And our own roof: Come home! come home!
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About Come home
The opening lines of this partsong paint a vivid picture of longing and anticipation. The lyrics express a heartfelt plea for someone to return from a distant land, emphasizing the passage of time and seasons since their departure. Autumn has harvested twice, winter has snowed twice, spring has bloomed and summer has shone in succession. The arrival of a wild bird on a summer evening serves as a poignant metaphor for the yearning for homecoming. This SATB setting in English captures the emotional depth of the text, creating a moving expression of absence and the enduring hope for reunion. The composer John Harrison Tenney crafts a secular work that resonates with universal themes of family and belonging.
