This edition was prepared by Geoff Allan — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
A John Clare Calendar
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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A John Clare Calendar by Geoff Allan — Lyrics
by John Clare (1793 – 1864)
1. Autumn
The Spring is gone, the Summerbeauty wanes,
Like setting sunbeams, in their last decline;
As evening shadows, lingering on the plains,
Gleam dim and dimmer till they cease to shine:
The busy bee hath humm'd himself to rest;
Flowers dry to seed, that held the sweets of Spring;
Flown is the bird, and empty is the nest,
His broods are rear'd, no joys are left to sing.
There hangs a dreariness about the scene,
A present shadow of a bright has been.
Ah, sad to prove that Pleasure's golden springs,
Like common fountains, should so quickly dry,
And be so near allied to vulgar things!The joys of this world are but born to die.2. Winter
The small wind whispers through the leafless hedge
Most sharp and chill, where the light snowy flakes
Rest on each twig and spike of wither'd sedge,
Resembling scatter'd feathers;vainly breaks
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About A John Clare Calendar
Geoff Allan’s A John Clare Calendar is a cycle of partsongs for SATB voices, setting verses by the poet John Clare. The first song, Autumn, reflects on the passing of summer and the fading of nature’s beauty, expressing a poignant sense of loss and the transient nature of earthly joys. The text captures the visual imagery of a waning season and the quietude that follows summer's abundance. Allan's setting would suit a choir looking for evocative English secular repertoire, allowing for expressive interpretation of Clare's melancholic reflections on time and nature. The cycle offers a thoughtful meditation on seasonal change through the lens of classical English poetry.
