Forward! be our watchword. H. Alford. [Processional.] Was written for and first sung in public at the tenth Festival of Parochial Choirs of the Canterbury Diocesan Union, on the 6th June, 1871, and published with music, also by the Dean, in the Festival Book of that year. Both words and music were subsequently included in the author's Life by his widow, in 1872 in 8 stanzas of 12 lines. It has since appeared in many hymnals both in Great Britain and America, including The Hymnary, 1872; Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1875, Thring's Collection, 1882, .&c. In the American Laudes Domini, N. Y., 1884, it is divided into two parts, the second beginning, "Far o'er yon horizon."
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
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Forward! be our watchword, p. 384, i. In Mrs. Alford's Life of Dean Alford, 3rd ed., 1874, pp. 447-8, Mrs. Alford says:—
"On Whitsun Tuesday, June 14th [1870], the tenth [? ninth] Festival of the Parochial Choirs of the Canterbury Diocesan Choral Union was celebrated by a service in the Cathedral, performed by 900 voices. . . . After it was over he made arrangements with the Society for the performance at their next Festival (Whitsun Tuesday, 1871) of a Processional Hymn, for which he furnished the words and music. It was his last composition of this kind."
In the Life of J. G. Wood, the Precentor at that time of the Choral Union, 1890, pp. 47-51, we have a fuller account of the origin of the hymn, to this effect:—
The Dean composed a hymn at Mr. Wood's request. On receiving it he pointed out to the Dean " that the hymn, while excellent in its way, was not at all adapted to be sung upon the march. Would he kindly go into the Cathedral, walk slowly along the course which the procession would take, and compose another hymn as he did so." This the Dean did, and "Forward! be our watchword" was the result. The Dean also supplied the treble and bass, and Miss Lindsay (Mrs. J. Worthington Bliss) the alto and tenor of the tune which was sung at the Festival.
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)
Alford, Henry, D.D., son of the Rev. Henry Alford, Rector of Aston Sandford, b. at 25 Alfred Place, Bedford Row, London, Oct. 7, 1810, and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating in honours, in 1832. In 1833 he was ordained to the Curacy of Ampton. Subsequently he held the Vicarage of Wymeswold, 1835-1853,--the Incumbency of Quebec Chapel, London, 1853-1857; and the Deanery of Canterbury, 1857 to his death, which took. place at Canterbury, Jan. 12, 1871. In addition he held several important appointments, including that of a Fellow of Trinity, and the Hulsean Lectureship, 1841-2. His literary labours extended to every department of literature, but his noblest undertaking was his edition of the Greek Testament, the result… Go to person page >
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