This edition was prepared by Douglas Walczak — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
A Festival Chime
Staff Notation • Sacred, Anthems
Preview
0
0
Subscribed as
Want Sunday picks sent to another address too?
Free weekly email
Your choir should not be left out in what's trending
Sunday mass selections, psalms, and trending songs in your area — straight to your inbox.
A Festival Chime by Gustav Holst — Lyrics
Refrain
In town and in village our churchbells today
Cry "Come, you good people and put care away,
For He who made blossom and sunlight and May
Be certain rejoices in hearts that are gay."
1. We send our thanksgiving for all that we find
Of beauty on earth or of good in mankind;
For all that reveals, if the soul be not blind,
Our world as it glows in the Infinite Mind. [Refrain]
2. Our fathers before us were men of goodwill
Who open'd their treasure and proffer'd their shill
That, growing yet fairer, the world might fulfill
the dream of its Maker who looks on it still. [Refrain]
3. For April and June with their silver and gold,
For apples in autumn and nurturing mould,
Read full lyrics
About A Festival Chime
Gustav Holst's A Festival Chime is a jubilant SATB anthem in English, drawing on the tradition of celebratory sacred music. The text offers profound gratitude for the beauty of the natural world and the goodness of humanity, portraying life as a reflection of an 'Infinite Mind'. It also honours the legacy of forebears who contributed to the world's betterment. The refrain's clear call to 'put care away' and embrace joy, particularly in response to the gifts of the seasons, imbues the piece with a bright and uplifting spirit. This work is well-suited for occasions seeking a message of thanksgiving and optimistic reflection.
