tune by Dick Gaughan
arranged by Frances Cockburn
for soprano, alto, tenor and bass chorus

SATB performance time approx 2m 40s

Music

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Words

What's the spring, breathing jessmine and rose,
What's the summer, with all its gay train,
Or the splendour of autumn, to those
Who've barter'd their freedom for gain?

Let the love of our land's sacred rights
To the love of our people succeed;
Let friendship and honour unite
And flourish on both sides the Tweed.

No sweetness the senses can cheer
Which corruption and bribery blind.
No brightness that gloom can e'er clear,
For honour's the sun of the mind.

Let virtue distinguish the brave,
Place riches in lowest degree.
Think them poorest who can be a slave,
Them richest who dare to be free.

words traditional, adapted by Dick Gaughan

The words and tune of this arrangement are used courtesy of Topic Records Ltd (on the web at www.topicrecords.co.uk).

Price

The price of this piece depends on the number of singers in your group. This is a single payment for a licence to make as many copies as you need for your group to rehearse and perform the song as often as you wish. Copies of the song must not be given, lent or sold to any other group.

Companion pieces