Cantata.
Written expressly for the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney International Exhibition, and dedicated to His Royal Highness Albert Edward, Prince of Wales.
The cantata is set out in four parts: Part 1 - Prelude / Chorus 'Songs of Morning...' / Solo (soprano) and Chorus 'Lo, they come...' / Solo (tenor) 'By the days...'; Part 2 - Solo (bass) 'Where now a radiant city stands...' / Solo (contralto) 'Upon the hills...' / Solo (soprano) 'Ah! Haply on some mossy slope...'; Part 3 - Chorus of Children 'A gracious morning...' / Solo (soprano) 'And hence a fair dream...'. Part 4 - Solo (bass) with Chorus and Finale Tutti 'Father, all bountiful humbly we kneel to thee...'.
1879 : Sydney International Exhibition ; 17 September. Cond/Music Dir. Paolo Giorza. Cast: Miss L. Moon (soprano), Mrs P. Wells (soprano), Marie St Clair (contralto), Vernon Reid (tenor), Thomas Rainford (bass). - Musicians incl. W. G. Broadhurst (organ), maud Fitz-Stubbs, Miss M. Ickerson, Miss L. Hyam, Miss F. Farrell, Miss B. Marks, Miss A. Kellerman, Miss A. Laurie, Miss A. Wilton (pianos).
The performance involved a chorus and musical ensemble numbering 790 people, including a chorus of 500 children (under the direction of Signora Luigia Giorza, from the Conservatoire of Music, Milan) and eight young lady amateurs (students of Signora Giorza) each playing a grand piano.