Now the Green Blade Riseth (Love Is Come Again)

T

his hymn was written by John M. C. Crum (1872-1958) and first published in the Ox­ford Book of Car­ols, 1928.   This combination of dates means that the while the text is still copyright in the UK and other countries where copyright is based on number of years since the creator's death - and copyright of the text is held by Oxford University Press - the situation in the USA is less clear, and depends on when it was published and either copyright was registered and renewed.

With meter 11 10 10 11, it is almost always set to NOËL NOUVELET, which is a 15th Cen­tu­ry French mel­o­dy and sometimes called FRENCH CAROL in English.

The original title end with "Riseth", but many contemporary recordings present it as "Now The Green Blade Rises".

Although carols are usually associated with Christmas, this work is equally appropriate at Easter.

Downloads

A number of sheet music arrangements are available, including ones for choirs, bell choirs and other instruments.

Examples

Choir, with organ accompaniment

Duet with classical guitar accompaniment

Contemporary Christian music group

Childrens's choir with piano and violin accompanimnet

Lyrics

The text is still copyright, so not reproduced here. But it is available from various places, including CyberHymnal. A rough outline is:

1  Now the green blade rises from the buried grain,... 

2  In the grave they laid Him, Love Whom we had slain .. 

3  Up He sprang at Easter, like the risen grain, ... 

4  When our hearts are saddened, grieving or in pain ...

Each verse ends with the line "Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green."