Part I
Sydney Exhibition Cantata
Chorus
Songs of morning, with your breathSing the darkness now to death;Radiant river, beaming bay,Fair as Summer, shine to-day;Flying torrent, falling slope,Wear the face as bright as Hope;Wind and woodland, hill and sea,Lift your voices—sing for glee!Greet the guests your fame has won—Put your brightest garments on.
Recitative and Chorus
Lo, they come—the lords unknown,Sons of Peace, from every zone!See above our waves unfurledAll the flags of all the world!North and south and west and eastGather in to grace our feast.Shining nations! let them seeHow like England we can be.Mighty nations! let them viewSons of generous sires in you.
Solo—Tenor
By the days that sound afar,Sound, and shine like star by star;By the grand old years aflameWith the fires of England’s fame—Heirs of those who fought for rightWhen the world’s wronged face was white—Meet these guests your fortune sends,As your fathers met their friends;Let the beauty of your raceGlow like morning in your face.