Heaven speed you, noble band! – Canterbury’s theme song

Canterbury Pilgrims

Not it’s not by  The Feelers. In fact, it goes back to 1850  – Canterbury Pilgrims words by Martin Tupper and music by G. W. Martin. It was sung by the first colonists at the special service held in St Paul’s Cathedral, London, prior to embarking for Lyttelton

You can view the digitised original – with music included.

And here are the rousing lyrics:

Heaven speed you, noble band!
Link’d together, heart and hand,
Sworn to seek that far-off land,
Canterbury Pilgrims
Canterbury Pilgrims!

Heaven speed you! brothers brave,
Waft you well by wind and wave;
Heaven shield you! Heaven save!
Canterbury Pilgrims
Canterbury Pilgrims!

Like a queen of swarming bees,
England, hived amid the seas,
Sends you by a fav’ring breeze,
Canterbury Pilgrims,
Canterbury Pilgrims!

With a mother’s tender care,
To her Southern sister there,
Heaven speed you,
Heaven save!
Canterbury Pilgrims,
Canterbury Pilgrims!

Fresh the soil, and fair the clime,
Lightly touch’d by toil or time,
Scarcely ting’d with care or crime,
Canterbury Pilgrims,
Canterbury Pilgrims!

Go then, cheerfully go forth!
Hasten to replenish earth
With Old England’s honest worth,
Canterbury Pilgrims,
Canterbury Pilgrims!

Ay – with industry – for gold,
Godlyness – for wealth untold,
Go, in Christian duty bold,
Canterbury Pilgrims,
Canterbury Pilgrims!

Glad New Zealand bids you share
Each man plenty, and to spare,
God be with you then and there,
Canterbury Pilgrims,
Canterbury Pilgrims!