This edition was prepared by Mick Swithinbank — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Coronach
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
Preview
0
0
Subscribed as
Want Sunday picks sent to another address too?
Free weekly email
Your choir should not be left out in what's trending
Sunday mass selections, psalms, and trending songs in your area — straight to your inbox.
Coronach by Mick Swithinbank — Lyrics
Coronach (for the dead of the 5/7th Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders)
Waement the deid
I never did,
Ower gled I was ane o the lave
That someway baid alive
Tae trauchle my thowless hert
Wi ithers' hurt.
But nou that I'm far
Frae the fechtin's fear,
Nou I hae won awa frae aa thon pain
Back til my beuks and my pen,
They croud around me oot o the grave
Whar luve and langerie and blyness grieve.
Cryan the cauld words:
'We hae dree'd oor weirds,
But you that byde ahin,
Ayont oor ugsome hyne,
You are the flesh we aince hae been,
We that are bruckle brokken bane.'
Read full lyrics
About Coronach
This powerful Lowland Scots setting of Coronach honours the fallen soldiers of the 5/7th Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders. The text expresses the sorrow of a survivor, initially reluctant to acknowledge the dead, but now haunted by their voices. As he finds peace away from the battlefield, the ghosts emerge from the grave, reminding him of their shared humanity and the pain they endured. They lament their fate and speak of the survivor's burden, for he carries their memories and their unfulfilled songs. The SATTBB voicing creates a rich, resonant soundworld befitting the solemn and poignant nature of the subject matter. This is a deeply affecting piece for a choir seeking to explore themes of remembrance and the enduring impact of conflict.
