My Country, 'Tis of Thee

The lyrics to this beautiful patriotic song were written by Samuel Francis Smith, a Baptist minister and given to Lowell Mason who published it in 1832.  Smith wrote over 150 hymns and assisted in compiling a hymnal, while Mason was a prolific composer of over 1600 tunes.  Mason was also considered the father of music education in the US, having introduced music programs into American public schools.

“My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” (originally titled "America" by Smith) was actually first performed at a Fourth of July celebration in 1931.  When the famous professor and author Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr recommended Smith for an honorary doctorate of letters to Harvard University he noted that “his song will be sung centuries from now, when most of us and our pipings are forgotten.”

AMERICA
My country, 'tis of Thee Lyrics
by Samuel F. Smith - 1832

 

My country, 'tis of Thee,
Sweet Land of Liberty
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From every mountain side
Let Freedom ring.

My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills,
My heart with rapture thrills
Like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees
Sweet Freedom's song;
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.

Our fathers' God to Thee,
Author of Liberty,
To thee we sing,
Long may our land be bright
With Freedom's holy light,
Protect us by thy might
Great God, our King.

Our glorious Land to-day,
'Neath Education's sway,
Soars upward still.
Its hills of learning fair,
Whose bounties all may share,
behold them everywhere
On vale and hill!

Thy safeguard, Liberty,
The school shall ever be,
Our Nation's pride!
No tyrant hand shall smite,
While with encircling might
All here are taught the Right
With Truth allied.

Beneath Heaven's gracious will
The stars of progress still
Our course do sway;
In unity sublime
To broader heights we climb,
Triumphant over Time,
God speeds our way!

Grand birthright of our sires,
Our altars and our fires
Keep we still pure!
Our starry flag unfurled,
The hope of all the world,
In peace and light impearled,
God hold secure!

Why Quilts of Valor?

When you can’t imagine the impact of our Quilts of Valor … read this:

A Message From Linda Kau

State of Alaska Coordinator

Quilts of Valor Foundation

"I just heard from a friend who is standing in for me in Alaska while I'm away. Last night she spoke to the state winter conference for the VFW and LA VFW  Auxiliary.

After speaking a man came up and told her how his son, who had been deployed to Afghanistan last year, had been having "a hard time" and each time they talked to him they could tell it was getting worse. One day when he called home he told the family he happened to see someone with a Quilt of Valor and noticed that the label said the maker was from Homer, Alaska...........his home state. The father said that made a world of difference to his son, knowing that someone back home cared enough to make a quilt for a stranger, and that it said the soldiers are there for a good reason.

That's why we do it, isn't it?........keep on sewing ladies.  Our troops still need to know we care! They are still in harm’s way, keeping us free."

Thank you, Linda, for this reminder.  They are, indeed, why we do this.

CT Quilters QOV Group

Next Meeting Date:

Friday, Mar 15^th at 10:00

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