by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882)
God sent his Singers upon earth
Language: English
God sent his Singers upon earth With songs of sadness and of mirth, That they might touch the hearts of men, And bring them back to heaven again. The first, a youth, with soul of fire, Held in his hand a golden lyre; Through groves he wandered, and by streams, Playing the music of our dreams. The second with a bearded face, Stood singing in the market-place, And stirred with accents deep and loud The hearts of all the listening crowd. A grey old man, the third and last, Sang in cathedrals dim and vast, While the majestic organ rolled Contrition from its mouths of gold. And those who heard the Singers three, Disputed who the best might be; For still their music seemed to start Discordant echoes in each heart. But the great Master said, "I see No best in kind, but in degree; I gave a various gift to each, To charm, to strengthen, and to teach. "These are the three great chords of might, And he whose ear is tuned aright Will hear no discord in the three, But the most perfect harmony."
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Text Authorship:
- by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882), "The Singers", appears in The Seaside and the Fireside, first published 1849 [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 Franz Wilhelm Abt (1819 - 1885), "The Three Great Chords" [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by David Arditti (b. 1964), "The Singers", op. 13 [ treble solo voices and SATB chorus (or SSATB chorus), organ, and 2 optional harps and timpani ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Doyne Courtenay Bell (1831 - 1888), "The Singers" [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Carl Bornschein (1879 - 1948), "The Singers", published 1930 [ women's chorus and piano ], cantata [sung text not yet checked]
- by Elton E. Burgstahler , as Earl Rau, "The singers", published 1965 [ SATB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur R. Gaul , "The Singers", published 1883 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], partsong [sung text not yet checked]
- by Harvey Bartlett Gaul (1881 - 1945), "The Singers", published 1931 [ soprano and baritone soli, SATB chorus, and piano ], cantata [sung text not yet checked]
- by Cuthbert Harris (1870 - 1932), "The Singers", published 1925 [ SSAA chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alexander Campbell MacKenzie, Sir (1847 - 1935), "The Singers", published 1901 [ chorus ], partsong [sung text not yet checked]
- by Walter Mitchell , "The Singers" [ voice, piano, and harmonium ad libitum ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by George Alexander Osborne (1806 - 1893), "The Three Singers" [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Daniel Protheroe (1866 - 1934), "The Minstrels", published 1932 [ TTBB chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Louis Victor Franz Saar (1868 - 1937), "The Singers", op. 108a, published 1925 [ SATB chorus ], partsong [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bruno Schurig , "The Singers" [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Donald E. Sellew , "The Singers", published 1953 [ SSAATTBB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Cesar Sodero (1886 - 1947), "The Singers", published 1936 [ chorus: male voices, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Humphrey John Stark (b. 1854), "The Singers" [ bass or contralto, piano, and harmonium obbligato ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Berthold Tours (1838 - 1897), "The Three Singers", published >>1876 [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hilda Waller , "The Singers" [ SSA chorus and piano ], cantata [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Wesley Work, III (1901 - 1967), "The Singers", published 1949 [ baritone, SATB chorus, piano, and orchestra ] [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: 28
Word count: 186