“How beautiful they are, the lordly ones
Who dwell in the hills
In the hollow hills.
They have faces like flowers
And their breath is wind that stirs amid the grasses
Filled with white clover.
Their limbs are more white than shafts of moonshine.
They are more fleet than the March wind.
They laugh and are glad and are terrible:
When their lances shake, every green reed quivers.
How beautiful they are
How beautiful the lordly ones
In the hollow hills.”
— Fiona Macleod
Musings of the Night 
This poem was set to music, and was sung by a close friend back in the 40s.
Anyone know the music?
Alan T.
Zimbabwe.
I posted it.
I’m just looking for that very thing now. My father used to sing it in his workshop. I know the composer was a Communist, which I always found a bit odd. Charlie
Rutland Boughton the name of the composer of the music (you probably know this already?). Seemingly kicked out of respectable Glastonbury society (and even mainstream musical circles?) because of his communist leanings.
It’s the main theme from Rutland Boughton’s “The Immortal Hour” called the fairies’ song. Boughton lived in Glastonbury, England and the opera was first performed there in 1914. It’s a wonderful song with Fiona Macleod’s poem as lyrics.
I can sing it! Our school junior choir won the Slough Musical Festival with this song in the late 1940’s! I did a poem about it: http://vivinfrance.wordpress.com/2010/09/29/grey-a-childhood-memory/
Hi Alan, I remember singing the words to this song back in the 50 s at Primary School. I know the music too, very melodic.
Was Fiona MacLeod was actually a bloke?
Yes, he was.
Fiona Macleod was a male journalist from Dundee.
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Where can I find a recording of the music?
I have no idea, I’m sorry.
Anyone searching should try RUTLAND BROUGHTON composer. The song is the FAERY SONG from THE IMMORTAL HOUR.The opera performed in 1914. You can hear WEBSTER BOOTH and other artists singing the song SUCCESS!
You might find my recent comments interesting.Janferie
on you tube sung by Webster Booth
I think I may have learnt this song at school many years ago. I don’t know why I started singing the tune and a few words this morning. Is it possible to find a version of the tune anywhere? Please. The comments are so interesting.
After leaving my comment yesterday I went on to thinking and suddenly remembered I had an LP recorded by the Ring Choir of Bath. This was where I heard this lovely music.
In the late 40s/early50s a choir sang this song regularly on Children’s Hour before the BBC 6pm news.I loved it then and it seemed so mysterious. The BBC may have the recording still. More recently the song was recorded on CD on the soundtrack of the film ‘Paradise Road’ ~ an account of women held as Japanese POWs. They put together music they knew and sang them as choir pieces. This the first time I’ve heard it since childhood and it was a delight.
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I learnt this at school and have always remembered it and loved it. I would love to have it.
My mother sang this to us before bed. She said it came from the film Fantasia by Disney. I love it.
Lorna Bolden
I sang it in the school choir in the 1950s. The sheet music was arranged for The Glasgow Orpheus Choir.