Green thorn of the hill of ghosts

John Wall Callcott was a leading figure in the English glee tradition. His four-part setting for ATTB voices, Green thorn of the hill of ghosts, is a fine example of this genre of secular unaccompanied vocal music. The text is drawn from the epic poem Temora, attributed to Ossian, and describes a desolate, windswept landscape haunted by the spirits of the dead. Callcott’s music evokes the eerie atmosphere of the poem, capturing the sense of mystery and spectral presence as described in the opening lines. The close harmony of the ATTB voicing lends itself to a rich and resonant sound, ideal for conveying the dramatic imagery of the text.