by John Gillespie Magee, Jr. (1922 - 1941)
High flight
Language: English
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds...and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of...wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there, I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air. Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
Text Authorship:
- by John Gillespie Magee, Jr. (1922 - 1941), "High flight", written 1941 [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 Burton E. Hardin , "High flight", op. 23 no. 5 (<<1979), copyright © 1983 [ tenor or soprano, horn, and piano or strings ], from Flights of Fancy, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Elaine Hugh-Jones (b. 1927), "High flight", 2012 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karen Robinson (b. 1967), "High Flight", copyright © 2006 [ chorus and piano ], Santa Barbara Music Publishing
Publisher: Santa Barbara Music Publishing [external link] [sung text not yet checked] - by Nancy Ellen Telfer (b. 1950), "High Flight", 1984 [ ssa chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alba Rosa Viëtor (1889 - 1979), "High Flight", 1941, published 2012 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], Amsterdam : Alba Rosa Viëtor Foundation [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, [adaptation] ; composed by Laura Farnell.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-09-17
Line count: 14
Word count: 109