by John Masefield (1878 - 1967)
Tewkesbury Road
Language: English
It is good to be out on the road, and going one knows not where, Going through meadow and village, one knows not whither nor why; Through the grey light drift of the dust, in the keen cool rush of the air, Under the flying white clouds, and the broad blue lift of the sky. And to halt at the chattering brook, in the tall green fern at the brink Where the harebell grows, and the gorse, and the foxgloves purple and white; Where the shy-eyed delicate deer come down in a troop to drink When the stars are mellow and large at the coming on of the night. O, to feel the beat of the rain, and the homely smell of the earth, Is a tune for the blood to jig to, a joy past power of words; And the blessed green meadows are all a-rippled with mirth At the noise of the lambs at play and the dear wild cry of the birds. It is good to be out on the road, and going one knows not where, Going through meadow and village, one knows not whither nor why; Through the grey light drift of the dust, in the keen cool rush of the air, Under the flying white clouds, and the broad blue lift of the sky.
Authorship:
- by John Masefield (1878 - 1967), "Tewkesbury Road", appears in Salt Water Ballads, first published 1902 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by James Brown , "Tewkesbury Road" [ soprano or tenor and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Benjamin Burrows (1891 - 1966), "Tewkesbury Road", 1928 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Colin Hand (1929 - 2015), "Tewkesbury Road", published 1963 [ unison chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Michael (Dewar) Head (1900 - 1976), "Tewkesbury Road", 1924, published 1924 [ baritone and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Muriel Emily Herbert (1897 - 1984), "Tewkesbury Road" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eric Harding Thiman (1900 - 1975), "Tewkesbury Road", published 1944 [ satb chorus and instrumental ensemble ], from Songs of England  [sung text not yet checked]
- by Stanley Wilson , "Tewkesbury Road", published <<1967 [ TTBB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 220