Sailing Westward

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"Sailing Westward" is a poem written by Alfred Noyes, and set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar. It was one of the songs (collectively known as the "Pageant of Empire") written to be performed in the Pageant of Empire at the British Empire Exhibition, Wembley Park, on 21 July 1924. [1] [2]

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The song descriptively commemorates the adventurous English sea-captains who sailed to "... chase the setting sun ... westward, thro' the thund'ring gales".

Elgar used the same music for four other songs in the set: "The Islands", "Gloriana" (Queen Elizabeth I), "The Cape of Good Hope" (for South Africa) and "Indian Dawn".

This song was arranged by the composer as an accompanied part-song for SATB.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wind at Dawn</span>

"The Wind at Dawn" is a poem written by Caroline Alice Roberts, and set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1888.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Shepherd's Song</span>

”The Shepherd’s Song” is a song written by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1892. The words are by Barry Pain.

”Rondel” is a song written by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1894 as his Op.16, No.3. The words are by Longfellow, a translation of a Rondel by Froissart. The manuscript is dated 4 January 1894.

”Like to the Damask Rose” is a poem either by Francis Quarles called "Hos ego versiculos", or by Simon Wastell called “The flesh profiteth nothing”. It was set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1892.

”Queen Mary's Song” is a song written by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1889. The words are by Tennyson, sung by Mary as she plays a lute in Scene II, Act V of his play "Queen Mary: A Drama."

”The Poet’s Life” is a song written by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1892, with words by "Ellen Burroughs".

"The Blue Mountains" is a poem written by Alfred Noyes, and set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar. It was one of the songs written to be performed in the Pageant of Empire at the British Empire Exhibition in Wembley Park, London, on 21 July 1924.

"Shakespeare's Kingdom" is a poem written by Alfred Noyes and set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar. It was one of the songs written to be performed in the Pageant of Empire at the British Empire Exhibition on 21 July 1924.

"The Islands" is a poem written by Alfred Noyes, and set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar. It was one of the songs written to be performed in the Pageant of Empire at the British Empire Exhibition on 21 July 1924.

"The Heart of Canada" is a poem written by Alfred Noyes, and set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar. It was one of the songs written to be performed in the Pageant of Empire at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Park on 21 July 1924.

"Merchant Adventurers" is a poem written by Alfred Noyes, and set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar. It was one of the songs written to be performed in the Pageant of Empire at the British Empire Exhibition on 21 July 1924.

"The Immortal Legions" is a poem written by Alfred Noyes, and set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar. It was one of the songs written to be performed in the Pageant of Empire at the British Empire Exhibition on 21 July 1924.

"A Song of Union" is a poem written by Alfred Noyes, and set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar. It was one of the songs written to be performed in the Pageant of Empire at the British Empire Exhibition on 21 July 1924, though this particular song was not performed at the Pageant.

The Pageant of Empire was the name given to various historical pageants celebrating the British Empire which were held in Britain during the early twentieth century. For example, there was a small Pageant of Empire at the town of Builth Wells in 1909. In 1911 a giant Pageant of Empire took place at the Festival of Empire at the Crystal Palace in Sydenham, where thousands of amateur performers acted out historical scenes. The most notable was the Pageant of Empire which took place in London in 1924.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">In Moonlight</span> 1904 song by English composer Edward Elgar

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Pageant of Empire is the title given to a set of songs, to words by Alfred Noyes, written by the English composer Sir Edward Elgar and given important positions in the Pageant of Empire at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Park.

References

  1. Kennedy, Michael (1987). Portrait of Elgar (Third ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 181, 356. ISBN   0-19-284017-7.
  2. Moore, Jerrold Northrop (1984). Edward Elgar: A Creative Life. Oxford University Press. p. 768. ISBN   0-19-315447-1.

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