Lammas

• Instruments: ‘Cello (or keyboard substitute), or a cappella
• Duration: 3:00 minutes
• Difficulty: Low
• Lammas Score PDF
• Lammas mp3 sample

Selected performances

For past and scheduled performances, see the “Wheel of the Year” page here.

Lammas: Original Lyrics

All text and music original, apart from bracketed text and its associated chant (traditional).

(Hoof and horn, hoof and horn,
All that dies will be reborn.
Corn and grain, corn and grain,
All that falls will rise again.)

Bring the crops in against the weather:
Wheat and barley and hops and hay.
Working, harvesting in together -
Celebrating Lammas today.

Night draws nearer, and wind blows colder:
Wheat and barley and hops and hay.
Gather in as the days grow shorter,
Celebrating Lammas today.

Cull the last of the Summer’s bounty:
Wheat and barley and hops and hay.
Welcome in Autumn’s golden beauty -
Celebrating Lammas today.

Bid farewell to the days of Summer:
Wheat and barley and hops and hay.
Calling in the cool rains of Winter,
Celebrating Lammas today.

(Hoof and horn, hoof and horn,
All that dies will be reborn.
Corn and grain, corn and grain,
All that falls will rise again)

General Information

Lammas is the eighth movement of the Wheel of the Year song cycle. It is designed for the soloists to be singers from the choir, although professionals are optional of course.

Lammas was originally published as part of the full cycle in 2004, and subsequently released as an individual work in 2010.

Significant performances of Lammas have included the premiere by RMIT Occasional Choral Society in 2004 as part of the Young Melbourne Composers concert, and a repeat performance by RMIT Occasional Choral Society, together with LaTrobe University Choral Society, in 2011.