This edition was prepared by James Gibb — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
King Witlaf's drinking horn
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.
King Witlaf's drinking horn by John Liptrot Hatton — Lyrics
Witlaf, a King of the Saxons,
Ere yet his last he breathed,
To the merry monks of Croyland
His drinking horn bequeathed,
That, whenever they sat at their revels,
And drank from the golden bowl,
They might remember the donor,
And breathe a prayer for his soul.
So sat they once at Christmas,
And bade the goblet pass;
In their beards the red wine glistened
Like dewdrops in the grass.
They drank to the saints and martyrs,
Of the dismal days of yore,
And as soon as the horn was empty,
They remembered one saint more,
And the reader droned from the pulpit,
Like the murmur of many bees,
Read full lyrics
About King Witlaf's drinking horn
John Liptrot Hatton's partsong, King Witlaf's drinking horn, is a secular work for ATTB voices. The text tells a charming story of King Witlaf bequeathing his drinking horn to the monks of Croyland Abbey. It vividly describes their Christmas revels, where the horn would be passed around as they remembered the King and prayed for his soul. The narrative also touches upon their remembrance of saints and martyrs, and the reading of religious texts, all set against the backdrop of their feasting. Hatton's setting captures the lively, convivial atmosphere of the monks' gathering, as well as the slightly more solemn moments of remembrance and prayer.
