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"Song of a Thousand Years"

Music and Lyrics by Henry C. Work.

The Verses:

Lift up your eyes, desponding free-men!

Fling to the winds your needless fears!

He who unfurl'd your beauteous banner,

Says it shall wave a thousand years

I find the more I hear Song of a thousand years, the better I like it. If you'd like to take a listen, I've posted an instrumental only recording I made of it in the free downloads section.(For instruments, I chose violin, harmonica, xylophone, chorals "ahhs", and trumpet, all from the excellent Papelmedia GM 2006 sound library I purchased from Maz Sound Tools.) If I had the vocal skill and the right recording equipment to really do it justice, I'd have sung the lyrics too - I love the optimistic message!

I also have a scan of the sheet music available for downloading here. (item "9" on the page).

There is not as much information available on abolitionist composer/songwriter Henry Clay Work as on some more famous individuals, but if you're interested in that, this Wikipedia article, is a good starting point.

Ted Kuik

 

What if the clouds, one little moment,

Hide the blue sky where morn appears,

When the bright sun, that taints them crimson,

Rises to shine a thousand years?

Tell the great world these blessed tidings!

Yes, and be sure the bond-man hears;

Tell the oppressed of every nation,

Jubilee lasts a thousand years!

Chorus:

"A thousand years!" my own Columbia!

Tis the glad day so long foretold!

'Tis the glad morn whose early twilight

Washington saw in times of old,

(from the book Heart Songs, copyright 1909 by The Chapple Publishing Company, Ltd.)