A great time

Sweet Chance, that led my steps abroad,
Beyond the town, where wild flow'rs grow --
A rainbow and a cuckoo, Lord,
How rich and great the times are now!
Know all ye sheep
And cows, that keep
On staring that I stand so long
In grass that's wet from heavy rain --
A rainbow, and a cuckoo's song
May never come together again,
May never come [from]1
This side the tomb.
A rainbow, and a cuckoo's song
May never come together again...

by William Henry Davies (1871-1940) , "A great time", from The Bird of Paradise and Other Poems, published 1914

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Michael Head (1900-1976) , "Sweet Chance, that led my steps abroad", published 1929 [voice and piano or orchestra], from Songs of the Countryside, no. ?
by Wynn Hunt (1910-) , "A great time" [bass-baritone and piano], from W. H. Davies Song Cycle, no. ?
by Newell Wallbank (1914-) , "A great time", published 1948. [high voice and piano]

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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