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Voices of Anzac [song by L. E. Homfray, August 1917]

5 February 2022 · Leave a Comment

[Editor: This song by L. E. Homfray was published in The Bush Brother (Dubbo, NSW), August 1917.]

Voices of Anzac.

Upon the shores of Anzac
In many a nameless grave,
Australia’s sons are sleeping,
Her heroes, true and brave.
The call to arms was sounding,
And in youth’s golden day,
These sons of fair Australia
Went forth to join the fray.

And there amid the battle,
Through many a weary night
With wondrous hope and courage,
They still maintained the fight
For love of King and country
They sought to win renown,
And for a nation’s honour
Was each young life laid down

Shame on us as a nation,
If we forget the day;
If from those dear, dead voices
We idly turn away.
And shame be ours for ever,
If we reject the call
To serve our King and country,
Or for their honour fall.

Awake! awake! my brothers,
While yet those voices plead,
Arise and save your country,
In this her hour of need.
And may the God of wisdom
Still lead our armies on,
Till strife and warfare ended,
A nation’s peace is won.

L. E. Homfray.

Tune: Aurelia, or Sir Arthur Sullivan’s Jubilee Hymn.



Source:
The Bush Brother (Dubbo, NSW), August 1917, p. 286 (the date given on the cover of this issue is “August 1917”, although the date given on the banner page is “July, 1917”)

Editor’s notes:
The Bush Brother was a religious publication, which described itself as “A Quarterly Paper conducted by Members of the Brotherhood of the Good Shepherd.” The Brotherhood was “A Society, consisting of Clergy and Laity of the Church of England, formed for the purpose of Ministering to the Spiritual needs of the Dwellers in the Bush Districts of the Bathurst Diocese.”

Filed Under: songs Tagged With: Anzac poetry, L. E. Homfray (1873-1951) (author), patriotic poetry, SourceTrove, year1917

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