I vow to thee, my country

Independence Day, watercolor on paper, Andrew Wyeth, 1961

I Vow to Thee, My Country

by Cecil Spring-Rice (1918)

Musical score by Gustav Holst, 
Listen to trumpet setting here performed Timothy Moke.
Joel CARTER, Vietnam
I VOW to thee, my country, all earthly things above,


Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;

Charles STRONG, Vietnam
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,


That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;

Looking for survivors, Vietnam
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,


The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.

Ralph BRADFORD, Korea
AND there's another country, I've heard of long ago,


Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;

Dr. Gordon ARNOLD, Vietnam
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;


Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;

In Memorium:  Roy F. ALEXANDER, WWII, France
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,

Steve with his Grandfather Fowler, 1965
And her ways are ways of gentleness, 

In Memorium:  The Rev. Frederick FOWLER, Chaplain, World War II, Pacific Theatre
and all her paths are peace.


Battle Ensign, tempera on panel, Andrew Wyeth, 1987



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kandinsky books to enjoy

Image
Are you looking for some excellent additions to your 2016 reading list? Recently, I have shared with students in my abstract art class a children's book about Kandinsky.  The first book, The Noisy Paint Box was written by Barb Rosenstock and illustrated by Mary Grandpre. The book deftly explains Kandinsky's gift of synaesthesia ; he could hear colors and see sounds.  Readers young and old will enjoy the imaginative drawings in this book.  Be sure to share this book with the budding artist in your life. The backdrop of the beginning of the book is architecture of society of Russian aristocracy.  Kandinsky came from a well-to-do family.  However, his family lost everything during the course of civil revolutions and the first World War.   Despite his relative poverty, Kandinsky always dressed like a well-heeled gentleman as he painted for his classes at the Bauhaus School.  His students described him as genteel and mannerly -- almost other-wordly. Th
Read more

Update on Works in Progress

Image
Clarice and I had a blast in the studio this weekend.  We added more Jackson Pollock to the blue and green painting, which I keep referring to as " Wild Sargasso Sea ."  (Clarice thinks this name is hilarious.) White splotches, silver, and dark blue swirls happened here. Wild Sargasso Sea Then, the coral painting that I refer to as the "more Mondrian -ish" piece had some gold geometric highlights added to its negative space.  After this, I felt like the painting was suddenly channeling some Gustav Klimt .  I'm calling this one "Coral with Turquoise and Gold Incidentals."  (Musical composers write incidental music to accompany or accentuate the action in scenes.)  Coral with Turquoise and Gold Incidentals I still feel like my background colors of bright blue and coral on these two paintings were inspired by Kandinsky .  I also felt that the lyrical, rhythmic lines might make him smile.  He believed each painting captured a musical symphony.  Maybe he w
Read more