Land of our Birth. (Hymn)

Words Rudyard Kipling. Born: December 30, 1865, Bombay (now Mumbai), India. Died: January 18, 1936, London, England. Buried: Westminster Abbey, London, England.

I thought I had uploaded all the music available by A. E. Floyd then I found this hymn in the Australian Methodist Hymn Book 1933. There are 8 verses so I have intended only the introduction and verses 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8. Music and images attached. This is a fine tune so please use it in your services if appropriate.

Alfred Ernest Floyd was born in Aston, Birmingham in 1877 and after attaining a Doctorate of Music and work in the UK came to Australia in 1915 to take up the position of organist and Choir Director at St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne. It was Sir Walter Parrot who suggested the shy young Alfred apply for this position. This was achieved from a field of 200 applicants. He is an inheritor of the English Cathedral Tradition as he was for a number of years assistant at Winchester to Dr G. B. Arnold a pupil of S. S. Wesley. He was at St Pauls for 32 years resigning in 1947. In 1948 he was the first musician to be awarded an OBE for services to music. As well as being a music critic for the Argus, he presented Music Lovers Hour on ABC radio for 24 years. He died in Melbourne in 1974.
‘A.E. Floyd had the ability to make music interesting and accessible to the musical public. By the 1940s, he was a household name in Australia particularly as a result of his music broadcasts, which always ended with the words ‘and now I’ll say goodbye ’til next time’. Under his direction, music at St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, enjoyed an international reputation for excellence.’