This edition was prepared by Douglas Walczak — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Forward! be our watchword
Staff Notation • Sacred, Anthems
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Forward! be our watchword by Harry Rowe Shelley — Lyrics
1. Forward! be our watchword,
Steps and voices joined;
Seek the things before us,
Not a look behind.
Burns the fiery pillar
At our army’s head;
Who shall dream of shrinking,
By our captain led?
Forward through the desert,
Through the toil and fight;
Jordan flows before us,
Zion beams with light.
2. Glories upon glories
Hath our God prepared,
By the souls that love him
One day to be shared.
Eye hath not beheld them,
Ear hath never heard,
Nor of these hath uttered
Thought or speech a word.
Forward, marching eastward,
Where the heaven is bright;
Till the veil be lifted,
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About Forward! be our watchword
Harry Rowe Shelley composed this stirring anthem for SATB choir, setting an English text that serves as a powerful call to steadfast progress. The lyrics draw on biblical imagery, likening the faithful journey to the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, guided by divine presence and moving towards the promised land. The music would suit occasions where a sense of spiritual resolve and forward momentum is desired. It speaks of God's prepared glories, unseen and unheard by mortal senses, and urges the faithful onward through challenges towards the ultimate heavenly city. The anthem encourages perseverance, reminding singers that their ultimate destination is a place of divine light and eternal reward.
