This edition was prepared by David Anderson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Faintly as tolls the evening chime
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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Faintly as tolls the evening chime by John Winans Shryock — Lyrics
CANADIAN BOAT SONG
Faintly as tolls the evening chime
Our voices keep tune and our oars keep time.
Soon as the woods on shore look dim,
We’ll sing at St. Anne’s our parting hymn.
Row, brothers, row, the stream runs fast,
The Rapids are near and the daylight’s past!
Why should we yet our sail unfurl?
There is not a breath the blue wave to curl;
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About Faintly as tolls the evening chime
This SATB setting of the Canadian Boat Song captures the reflective mood of a journey nearing its end. The music mirrors the ebb and flow of the river, with voices weaving together to evoke the scene of weary travellers singing their parting hymn as daylight fades. The text speaks of both the present quietude and the anticipation of reaching their destination, where they will find rest. The piece balances the sense of gentle progress with an awareness of the approaching rapids, creating a poignant musical narrative. The rich harmonies of the SATB texture add depth to the evocative imagery of the lyrics.
