This edition was prepared by David Anderson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Break, break, break on thy cold grey stones, O sea
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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2 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
SATB · James Gibb
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Break, break, break on thy cold grey stones, O sea by George Alexander Macfarren — Lyrics
Break, break, break,
On thy cold grey stones, O Sea!
And I would that my tongue could utter
The thoughts that arise in me.
O, well for the fisherman's boy,
That he shouts with his sister at play!
O, well for the sailor lad,
That he sings in his boat on the bay!
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About Break, break, break on thy cold grey stones, O sea
George Alexander Macfarren sets Tennyson's famous poem "Break, break, break" for SATB choir. The words express a profound sense of loss and longing, contrasting the ceaseless motion of the sea with the singer's deep personal grief. The poem paints a picture of the ocean's indifference to human sorrow, as ships sail on and fishermen's boys play, while the singer mourns a lost touch and a voice now silent. Macfarren’s setting captures the melancholic mood, reflecting the poem's themes of memory, absence, and the passage of time. This secular English partsong is suitable for choirs seeking to explore expressive vocal writing and poignant textual settings.
