Wednesday 17 August 2016
Tune of the Day: War Song of Harold Harfager
Traditional tune, arranged for two flutes
This duet is taken from Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in 1833. The title refers to a poem by Sir Walter Scott, “The Song of Harold Harfager”, which appeared in his 1822 novel The Pirate.
The sun is rising dimly red,
The wind is wailing low and dread;
From his cliff the eagle sallies,
Leaves the wolf his darksome valleys;
In the midst the ravens hover,
Peep the wild-dogs from the cover,
Screaming, croaking, baying, yelling,
Each in his wild accents telling,
“Soon we feast on dead and dying,
Fair-hair’d Harold’s flag is flying.”
For the curious, Harald Harfager, also known as Harald Fairhair, was the first King of Norway; according to tradition, he reigned from circa 872 to 930.