This edition was prepared by Louis Hoofd — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
An Irish airman foresees his death
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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An Irish airman foresees his death by Louis Hoofd — Lyrics
I know that I shall meet my fate,
Somewhere among the clouds above;
Those that I fight I do not hate,
Those that I guard I do not love;
My country is Kiltartan Cross,
My countrymen Kiltartan's poor,
No likely end could bring them loss
Or leave them happier than before.
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About An Irish airman foresees his death
This striking setting captures the reflective mood of W.B. Yeats' poem, imagining a pilot facing his impending death. The text expresses a profound sense of detachment from the conflict, driven not by hatred or duty, but by a lonely impulse of delight found in the act of flying. The SSATB voicing allows for rich harmonic colours to underscore the airman's contemplation of his life and the ultimate fate that awaits him amongst the clouds. This is a powerful secular choral work that offers a poignant meditation on mortality and the individual's place in the wider world.
