Chimes | Brief on a flying night

by Alice Christina Meynell (1847 - 1922)

Chimes

Language: English

Brief on a flying night,
  From the shaken tower,
A flock of bells take flight,
  And go with the hour.
 
Like birds from the cote to the gales,
  Abrupt -- oh, hark! -- 
A fleet of bells set sails,
  And go to the dark.
 
Sudden the cold airs swing:
  Alone, aloud,
A verse of bells takes wing
  And flies with the cloud.

Text Authorship:

by Alice Christina Meynell (1847 - 1922), "Chimes", appears in Later Poems, first published 1902 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Vladimir Agopov (b. 1953), "Chimes", op. 11 no. 4 (1986) [ voice, flute, and accordion ], from Four Songs to the Words by Alice Meynell, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Emma Lou Diemer (b. 1927), "Chimes", 1976, published 1977 [ soprano or tenor and instrumental ensemble ], from Four Poems by Alice Meynell, no. 1, New York, Carl Fischer [sung text not yet checked]
by Colin Hand (1929 - 2015), "Chimes", published 1970 [ chorus, speakers, recorders, piano, percussion, and strings ], from Carillons [sung text not yet checked]
by Fritz Bennicke Hart (1874 - 1949), "Chimes", op. 127 (A Book of Five Songs) no. 1 (1938) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Margaret Ruthven Lang (1867 - 1972), "Chimes", op. 54 (Two songs) no. 2 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
by Margaret Meachen , "Chimes", published <<1940 [sung text not yet checked]
by Bertha Rawlinson , "Chimes", published 1963 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Harold Hinchcliffe Sykes , "Chimes", published 1967 [ SS chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Harald Genzmer.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-01-13
Line count: 12
Word count: 60