by Laurence Binyon (1869 - 1943)
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for...
Language: English
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children, England mourns her dead across the sea. Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit, Fallen in the cause of the free. Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres. There is music in the midst of desolation And a glory that shines upon our tears. They went with songs to the battle, they were young, Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted, They fell with their faces to the foe. They fought, they were terrible, nought could tame them, Hunger, nor legions, nor shattering cannonade. They laughed, they sang their melodies of England, They fell open-eyed and unafraid. They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. They mingle not with their laughing comrades again; They sit no more at familiar tables of home; They have no lot in the labour of the daytime; They sleep beyond England’s foam. But where our desires are and our hopes profound, Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight, To the innermost heart of their own land they are known As the stars are known to the night; As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust, Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain, As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness, To the end, to the end, they remain.
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Text Authorship:
- by Laurence Binyon (1869 - 1943), "For the Fallen", appears in The Winnowing-Fan, no. 11, first published 1914 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Mark Blatchly (b. 1960), "For the Fallen", subtitle: "Lines from a poem by Laurence Binyon", published c1982 [ women's chorus and orchestra or organ ], Ipswich [sung text not yet checked]
- by Chris Chivers , "For the Fallen", published 2014 [ SATB chorus ], Matfield, Kent : Encore Publications ; begins 'They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old' [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edward Elgar, Sir (1857 - 1934), "For the Fallen", published 1916 [ soprano or tenor, chorus, and orchestra ], from The Spirit of England, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Douglas Guest (1916 - 1996), "For the Fallen", published c1984 [ SATB chorus ], from Two anthems for remembrance, no. 2, Croydon : The Royal School of Church Music [sung text not yet checked]
- by Patrick Hawes , "The Last Post", 2018 [ soprano, SATB chorus, orchestra ], from The Great War Symphony, Hawes Music Ltd.; the text begins 'They shall grow not old' [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karl Jenkins (b. 1944), "For the Fallen", subtitle: "In memoriam Alfryn Jenkins", published 2010 [ narrator, SATB chorus, organ or trumpet ], London : Boosey & Hawkes [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bryan Kelly (b. 1934), "For the Fallen", published c1997 [ SATB chorus ], Hildenborough : Encore Publications [sung text not yet checked]
- by Cyril Bradley Rootham (1875 - 1938), "For the Fallen", published 1915 [ soprano, alto, bass soli, SATB chorus, and orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Mike Sammes , "For the Fallen", published c1992 [ chorus and organ or piano ], York : Banks Music Publications [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arnold Walter (1902 - 1973), "For the Fallen", 1949 [ chorus and orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Mike Pearson
This text was added to the website: 2016-07-10
Line count: 32
Word count: 269