by Frances Ridley Havergal (1836 - 1879)
Oh for a burst of song
Language: English
Oh for a burst of song, Exultant, deep, and strong, One gush of music's billowy might, To bear my soul away Into the realms of day, From these dim glacier-caves of Life's cold night! Oh for a sunset strain Wafted o'er slumberous main, To enter, spirit-like, my prisoned heart, And there, with viewless hand, Unloose each mortal band, That in the songs of heaven I too might learn a part. The sweetest music here Calls forth the quiet tear, For grief and gladness flow in blended stream; Oh for the joyous day, (Can it be far away?) When one great Alleluia song shall chase Life's tuneless dream!
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Authorship:
- by Frances Ridley Havergal (1836 - 1879), "More music", appears in The Poetical Works of Frances Ridley Havergal, New York: E.P. Dutton & Company, first published 1888 [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 Frances Allitsen (1848 - 1912), "Oh! for a burst of song", published 1898 [ voice and piano ], London & New York: Boosey & Co [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2012-04-15
Line count: 18
Word count: 107