The Trumpet and other Songs

Song Cycle by Brian Holmes (b. 1946)

1. The Trumpet  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Rise up, rise up,
And, as the trumpet blowing
[Chases]1 the dreams of men,
As the dawn glowing
The stars that left unlit
The land and water,
Rise up and scatter
The dew that covers
The print of last night's lovers ---
Scatter it, scatter it!
 
While you are listening
To [the]2 clear horn,
Forget, men, everything
On this earth newborn,
[Except]3 that it is lovelier
Than any mysteries.
Open your eyes to the air
That has washed the eyes of the stars
Through all the dewy night:
Up with the light,
To the old wars;
Arise, arise!

Text Authorship:

  • by Edward Thomas (1878 - 1917), as Edward Eastaway, "The Trumpet", first published 1917

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1 Gurney: "Scatters"
2 Gurney: "that"
3 Gurney: "Save"

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , David Kenneth Smith

2. Fife tune

Language: English 
One morning in May
 . . . . . . . . . .

— The rest of this text is not
currently in the database but will be
added as soon as we obtain it. —

Text Authorship:

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3. Variations for two pianos

Language: English 
There is no music now in all Arkansas
 . . . . . . . . . .

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currently in the database but will be
added as soon as we obtain it. —

Text Authorship:

Go to the general single-text view

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4. Allie  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Allie, call the birds in,
  The birds from the sky.
Allie calls, Allie sings,
  Down they all fly.
First there came
Two white doves
  Then a sparrow from his nest,
Then a clucking bantam hen,
  Then a robin red-breast.

Allie, call the beasts in,
  The beasts, every one.
Allie calls, Allie sings,
  In they all run.
First there came
Two black lambs,
  Then a grunting Berkshire sow,
Then a dog without a tail,
  Then a red and white cow.

Allie, call the fish up,
  The fish from the stream.
Allie calls, Allie sings,
  Up they all swim.
First there came
Two gold fish,
  A minnow and a miller's thumb,
Then a pair of loving trout,
  Then the twisted eels come.

Allie, call the children,
  Children from the green.
Allie calls, Allie sings,
  Soon they run in.
First there came
Tom and Madge,
  Kate and I who'll not forget
How we played by the water's edge
  Till the April sun set.

Text Authorship:

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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

5. To Musique, to becalme his Fever  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Charm me asleep, and melt me so
With thy delicious numbers,
That, being ravish'd, hence I go
Away in easy slumbers.
Ease my sick head,
And make my bed,
Thou power that canst sever
From me this ill,
And quickly still,
Though thou not kill
My fever.

Thou sweetly canst convert the same
From a consuming fire
Into a gentle licking flame,
And make it thus expire.
Then make me weep
My pains asleep;
And give me such reposes
That I, poor I,
May think thereby
I live and die
'Mongst roses.

Fall on me like [a]1 silent dew,
Or like those maiden showers
Which, by the peep of day, do strew
A baptism o'er the flowers
Melt, melt my [pains]2
With thy soft strains;
That, having ease me given,
With full delight
I leave this light,
And take my flight
[For]3 Heaven.

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View original text (without footnotes)
1 Ewazen, Hindemith: "the"
2 Ewazen: "pain"
3 Gideon, Hindemith: "To"

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]
Total word count: 400