by Caroline Alice Elgar, née Roberts (1848 - 1920)
A Christmas greeting
Language: English
Bowered on sloping hillsides rise In sunny glow, the purpling vine; Beneath the greyer English skies, In fair array, the red-gold apples shine. To those in snow, To those in sun, Love is but one; Hearts beat and glow, By oak and palm. Friends, in storm or calm. On and on old Tiber speeds, Dark with the weight of ancient crime; Far north, thr' green and quiet meads, Flows on the Wye in mist and silv'ring rime. To those in snow, To those in sun, Love is but one; Hearts beat and glow, By oak and palm. Friends, in storm or calm. The pifferari wander far, They seek the shrines, and hymn the peace Which herald angels, 'neath the star, Foretold to shepherds, bidding strife to cease. Our England sleeps in shroud of snow, Bells, sadly sweet, knell life's swift flight, And tears, unbid, are wont to flow, As "Noel! Noel!" sounds across the night. To those in snow, To those in sun, Love is but one! Hearts beat and glow, By oak and palm. Friends, in storm or calm.
Text Authorship:
- by Caroline Alice Elgar, née Roberts (1848 - 1920) [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 Edward Elgar, Sir (1857 - 1934), "A Christmas greeting", op. 52 (1907). [boys' chorus, violins, and piano] [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 34
Word count: 180