Sheet Music: To Greece We Give Our Shining Blades

TitleTo Greece We Give Our Shining Blades
Alternate titlesThe Sky is Bright
ComposerHenry Bishop (1786–1855)
InstrumentationFlute trio
KeyC major
RangeF4–C6
Time signature6/8
Tempo72 BPM
Performance time1:10
Difficulty leveleasy
Download printable scorePDF Sheet Music (57 kB) (preview)
Download audio tracksMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (559 kB)
Play-along accompanimentMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (610 kB)
Date added2022-02-03
Last updated2022-02-03
Download popularity index☆☆☆☆☆ 0.5 (below average)
Categories
Patriotic

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Thursday 3 February 2022

Tune of the Day: To Greece We Give Our Shining Blades

arranged for three flutes

In 1826, at the height of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire, Irish poet Thomas Moore composed the series of poems “Evenings in Greece”, set on the island of Zea (also known as Kea or Keos). Shortly thereafter, his emblematic poem “The sky is bright – To Greece we give our shining blades” was set to music by English composer Henry Bishop.

The sky is bright, the breeze is fair,
And the mainsail flowing full and free;
Our parting word is woman's pray'r,
And the hope before us, Liberty!
Farewell, farewell.
To Greece we give our shining blades,
And our hearts to you, young Zian maids!

The present arrangement for three flutes appeared in Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in Philadelphia in 1833.