Celebrating the great American day of independence on this 4th of July, 2024, we are choosing to honor the freedom of all peoples. We think of the sacrifices and heroic struggles for independence that numerous nations on Earth endured and fought to keep the banner of human dignity and liberty.

Our Music of the Week expresses that universal desire and right to freedom like few pieces can. The hymn is based on the music of Jean Sibelius’ Finlandia—a composition that itself was written during the time of the Finnish independence movement capturing the mood of a people that had patiently been a province of other empires for a very long time.

The words for the English version we are hearing were written by American poet Lloyd Jones, with the third verse added by Georgia Harkness. The arrangement goes back to Ira B. Wilson who in 1934 set these words to Sibelius’ music.

Today, let this be a Song of Peace for all nations, not least for Finland and Sweden, two nations on the brink of sleepwalking into a false treaty and new military occupation.

A song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is; 
Here are my hopes, my dreams, my sacred shrine. 
But other hearts in other lands are beating. 
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

Related:

Finlandia Hymn (Wikipedia)

This is my song (Wikipedia)

History of Hymns: “This Is My Song” (Discipleship Ministries)

Lloyd Stone (Wikipedia)

A rendering of the full Finlandia hymn tone poem, orchestral and choir pieces (YouTube)