Sea Fever (Henry Kimball Hadley)

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• (Posted 2023-10-23)  CPDL #76570:     

Editor: David Anderson (submitted 2023-10-23).   Score information: Letter, 8 pages, 348 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: Sea Fever
Composer: Henry Kimball Hadley
Lyricist: John Masefield
Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1923 Silver, Burdett and Company
Description: 

Original text and translations

English text

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way, where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and sweet dream when the long trick’s over.