This edition was prepared by David Anderson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
I would I were the Glow-worm
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs, Folk songs
Preview
0
0
Subscribed as
Want Sunday picks sent to another address too?
Free weekly email
Your choir should not be left out in what's trending
Sunday mass selections, psalms, and trending songs in your area — straight to your inbox.
I would I were the Glow-worm by Harold William Rhodes — Lyrics
I would I were the glowworm, thou the flower,
That I might fill thy cup with glimmering light;
I would I were the bird, and thou the bower,
To sing thee songs throughout the summer night.
I would I were a pine tree deeply rooted,
And thou the lofty, cloudbeleaguered rock,
Still, while the blasts of heaven around us hooted,
To cleave to thee and weather every shock.
Read full lyrics
About I would I were the Glow-worm
Harold William Rhodes's I would I were the Glow-worm is a secular SATB setting of a wistful English poem. The text expresses a series of passionate, unfulfilled desires for closeness and union, comparing the speaker's yearning to natural elements like a glow-worm, a bird, a pine tree, and a rill. The composer captures this ardent sentiment through the rich textures of four-part harmony. It is a song of intense, romantic longing, typical of the English partsong tradition, where poetic text is explored through expressive vocal writing. The piece offers directors a chance to explore nuanced dynamic and expressive possibilities with their choir.
