Musical Map of Newfoundland and Labrador: ODE TO NEWFOUNDLAND

ODE TO NEWFOUNDLAND

Listen:

“Ode to Newfoundland”
Vonnie Barron and Esther Squires

From the album Another Time - the Songs of Newfoundland, 1991.
Used with permission of the performers and Pigeon Inlet Productions.

Performed by Vonnie Barron, Esther Squires

Purchase Another Time at Fred's Records

Words:

Sir Cavendish Boyle

Tune:

Sir Hubert Parry

Locations associated with this song:

St. John's

Background Info:

The words for the Ode to Newfoundland were written in 1902 by Sir Cavendish Boyle, an Irish native who served as Governor of Newfoundland between 1901 and 1904. His poem was set to music by a local bandmaster. It quickly became a popular favourite. Boyle, dissatisfied with the original music, asked his friend the British composer Sir Hubert Parry to come up with something better. Parry provided two melodies, including the one here, which became the accepted standard when the song was chosen as Newfoundland's official anthem on May 20, 1904.

Lyrics:

THE ODE TO NEWFOUNDLAND – Lyrics by Sir Cavendish Boyle, music by Sir Hubert Parry

When sunrays crown thy pine-clad hills,
And Summer spreads her hand,
When silvern voices tune thy rills,
We love thee smiling land,
We love thee, we love thee,
We love thee smiling land.

When blinding storm gusts fret thy shore,
And wild waves lash thy strand,
Thro' spindrift swirl and tempest roar,
We love thee wind-swept land,
We love thee, we love thee,
We love thee wind-swept land.

When spreads thy cloak of shimm'ring white,
At Winter's stern command,
Thro' shortened day and starlit night,
We love thee frozen land,
We love thee, we love thee,
We love thee frozen land.

As loved our fathers, so we love,
Where once they stood we stand,
Their prayer we raise to heav'n above,
God guard thee Newfoundland,
God guard thee, God guard thee,
God guard thee Newfoundland.

See lyrics on a page by themselves