This edition was prepared by David Anderson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
I heard the bells in distant greeting
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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I heard the bells in distant greeting by L.O. Emerson — Lyrics
I heard the bells in distant greeting,
With whisper sweet a louder song,
Now far in mingled waves retreating,
Now pouring tides of sound along.
Then through the air came sounds of sadness,
Shivering amid the joy on high,
Thus dwells in love’s pervading gladness
The secret sigh.
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About I heard the bells in distant greeting
Luther Orlando Emerson’s SATB setting of I heard the bells in distant greeting offers a reflective exploration of contrasting emotions. The text moves from the joyful sounds of bells and song to an awareness of underlying sadness and sorrow, a feeling that lingers even within love’s pervading gladness. This is likened to the nightingale’s complaint transforming into rapture, suggesting that even within the heart’s abyss, strains of sorrow can ultimately vibrate on the morrow in surging bliss. This secular songs offers a thoughtful contrast of moods, suitable for a reflective moment within a concert programme.
