This edition was prepared by Jonathan Goodliffe — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Gavran (or Garvan)
Staff Notation • Secular, Glees
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Gavran (or Garvan) by John Wall Callcott — Lyrics
Where are the sons of Gavran? where his tribe
The faithful? Following their beloved Chief,
They the Green Islands of the Ocean sought;
[Nor human tongue hath told, nor human ear,
Since from the silver shores they went their way,
Hath heard, their fortunes. In his crystal Ark,
Whither sailed Merlin with his band of Bards,
Old Merlin, master of the mystic lore?]
Belike his crystal Ark, instinct with life,
Obedient to the mighty Master, reach'd
The Land of the Departed; there, belike,
They in the clime of immortality,
Themselves immortal, drink the gales of bliss,
Which o'er Flathinnis breathe eternal spring,
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About Gavran (or Garvan)
John Wall Callcott's glee Gavran paints a vivid scene of searching for the lost followers of Gavran and their legendary chief. The text wonders if they found the "Green Islands of the Ocean" and journeyed to the "Land of the Departed" with Merlin and his bards. This secular piece, for ATB or TTB voices, explores themes of legend and the unknown, with the lyrics posing questions about their fate and whether they found immortality and bliss in a mythical realm. Callcott's setting would have been performed in the convivial social gatherings of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, typical of the glee tradition.
