Robert Shaw Chorale,
Robert Shaw, director
Harvest Home
The harvest dawn is near,
the year delays not long,
and he who sows with many a tear
shall reap with many a song.
Sad to his toil he goes,
his seed with weeping leaves,
and he shall come at twilight close
and bring his golden sheaves.
Rev. George Burgess
Lord of the Harvest
Lord of the harvest, Thee we hail.
Thine ancient promise doth not fail.
The varying seasons haste their round,
with goodness all our years are crown'd.
Our thanks we pray this Holy Day;
let our hearts in tune be found.
When They liberal hand
scatters plenty o'er the land,
when sounds of music fill the air,
as homeward all their treasures bear;
we too will raise our hymns of prise,
for we Thy common bounties share.
Lord of the harvest, all is Thine,
the rains that fall, the suns that shine,
the seed once hidden in the ground,
the skill that makes our fruit abound.
New praises from our lips shall sound.
Lord of the harvest, Thee we hail.
John Hampton Gurney
Harvest Home
Come ye thankful people, come,
raise a song of harvest home.
All is safely gathered in
ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide
for our wants to be supplied.
Come to God's own temple, come,
raise the song of harvest home.
Rev. Henry Alford
Even one of Charles Ives' severest, even most unfair critics, Virgil Thomson, called these pieces perfect. I can't understand why they haven't been performed or recorded more often. Robert Shaw, thankfully, worked during a time when record companies would allow an artist of his stature to record pieces that weren't going to be best sellers. Shaw was one of the most significant conductors of the past century due to his desire to perform and record lots of repertoire that would have otherwise been unheard and unrecorded.
I just got the last of my field corn in. Thought of these as I was doing that.
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