This edition was prepared by David Anderson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Autumn
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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Autumn by George Tootell — Lyrics
There is a beautiful spirit breathing now
Its mellow richness on the clustered trees,
And, from a beaker full of richest dyes,
Pouring new glory on the autumn woods,
And dipping in warm light the pillared clouds.
Morn, on the mountain, like a summer bird,
Lifts up her purple wing; and in the vales
The gentle wind, a sweet and passionate wooer,
Kisses the blushing leaf, and stirs up life
Within the solemn woods, [of ash deepcrimsoned,
And silver beech, and maple yellowleaved,]
Where Autumn, like a faint old man, sits down
By the wayside aweary. [Through the trees
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About Autumn
George Tootell's setting of a descriptive English text opens with a flowing, rich texture that captures the beauty of the season. The SATB voices weave together to paint a vivid picture of autumn's colours and light, moving from the grand sweep of the "clustered trees" and "pillared clouds" to the intimate "kiss" of the wind on a "blushing leaf." The music reflects the poem's imagery, from the "mellow richness" and "new glory" of the woods to the gentle melancholy of Autumn "a-weary." This is a evocative and well-crafted secular part-song that offers ample opportunity for expressive choral singing.
