This edition was prepared by Jonathan Goodliffe — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Hail! Happy Albion!
Staff Notation • Secular, Glees
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Hail! Happy Albion! by John Wall Callcott — Lyrics
Opening two lines adapted from "Annus Mirabilis" (1789) ll. 5657 by Thomas Cowper (17311800).
Remaining lyrics (with minor changes) from "Ode for Music" (1769) ll.7174 and 8994 by Thomas Gray (17161771).
Hail! Happy Albion! Queen of isles
Peaceful freedom o'er thee smiles :
Thy liberal heart, thy judging eye,
The flower unheeded can descry,
And bid it round heaven's altars shed
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About Hail! Happy Albion!
John Wall Callcott's Hail! Happy Albion! is a fine example of the English glee, a popular secular genre of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This substantial work for AATTB, ATTTB voices draws on literary sources of the era, adapting lines from Thomas Cowper's Annus Mirabilis and Thomas Gray's Ode for Music. The text celebrates Britain, personified as a queen, highlighting its peaceful freedoms and steadfast nature. It speaks of vigilance, honour, and resilience, invoking the guiding light of the 'star of Brunswick' to navigate challenges, personified here as the 'horrors of the deep'. The rich, complex voicing for double choir reflects the patriotic and celebratory spirit of the text.
