Hail! smiling morn
Hail! smiling morn
A glee which is sung either as a Christmas carol or as an Easter carol. Very popular part of the South Yorkshire carolling tradition, it is also performed by choral societies in Huddersfield and Bradford.
It was composed in 1810 by Reginald Spofforth (1770-1827) of Southwell, near Nottingham. First published in Set of Six Glees, it has been described as having been "possibly the most popular glee in the entire repertory".
- Hail smiling morn, smiling morn,
- That tips the hills with gold, that tips the hills with gold,
- Whose rosy fingers ope the gates of day,
- Ope the gates, the gates of day,
- Hail! Hail! Hail! Hail!
- Who the gay face of nature doth unfold,
- Who the gay face of nature doth unfold,
- At whose bright presence darkness flies away, flies away,
- Darkness flies away, darkness flies away,
- At whose bright presence darkness flies away, flies away,
- Hail! Hail! Hail! Hail!
- Hail! Hail! Hail! Hail!
External Links
Recordings
- Cylinder recording circa 1904 by the Edison Quartette Internet Archive - various formats
- Singers at the Fountain Inn, Ingbirchworth, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, recorded by Keith Summers 1974 British Library