"A Song of Union" is a poem written by Alfred Noyes

Alfred Noyes

Alfred Noyes was an English poet, best known for his ballads, "The Highwayman" and "The Barrel-Organ".-Early years:...

, and set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar

Edward Elgar

Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM, GCVO was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos...

. It was one of the songs (also known as the "Pageant of Empire

Pageant of Empire (Elgar)

Pageant of Empire is the title given to a set of songs, to words by Alfred Noyes, written by the English composer Sir Edward Elgar and given important positions in the Pageant of Empire at the British Empire Exhibition.-Details:...

") written to be performed in the Pageant of Empire

Pageant of Empire

The Pageant of Empire was a set of historical pageants organised by the British government for the huge British Empire Exhibition held at the Empire Stadium in 1924. The Exhibition was opened on 23 April, and the Pageant was performed between 21 July and 30 August...

at the British Empire Exhibition

British Empire Exhibition

The British Empire Exhibition was a colonial exhibition held at Wembley, Middlesex in 1924 and 1925.-History:It was opened by King George V on St George's Day, 23 April 1924. The British Empire contained 58 countries at that time, and only Gambia and Gibraltar did not take part...

 on 21 July 1924. However the song was not actually performed at the Pageant.

This was the only one that the composer wrote as a part-song, though two others "Sailing Westward

Sailing Westward

"Sailing Westward" is a poem written by Alfred Noyes, and set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar. It was one of the songs written to be performed in the Pageant of Empire at the British Empire Exhibition on 21 July 1924.The song descriptively commemorates the adventurous English...

" and "The Immortal Legions

The Immortal Legions

"The Immortal Legions" is a poem written by Alfred Noyes, and set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar. It was one of the songs written to be performed in the Pageant of Empire at the British Empire Exhibition on 21 July 1924.The poem is of quiet grief and thanksgiving in remembrance of...

" were later arranged as part-songs.

The song is in the form of a confident march, beginning with the symbolic "stars that wheel around the Sun" and finally celebrating the union of the realms of Empire with "Love binds all our hearts in one". Although some of the songs in "Pageant of Empire" were associated with particular countries, this song celebrates the union of the whole Empire, and has no particular reference to what was at that time the Union of South Africa

Union of South Africa

The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...

.

The music is taken from the central section of Elgar's "Empire March", written for the same occasion.

Recordings

• The CD with the book Oh, My Horses! Elgar and the Great War has many historical recordings, including A Song of Union in a 1975 recording by the Kensington Choir and Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leslie Head. The book includes the lyrics on pages 283-284