For the Fourth of July, Arthur Farwell wrote a new national hymn. He had such high aspirations for it. Instead of being all America-centric, it would celebrate all nations:

“It is a world-hymn rather than a patriotic hymn in the old-fashioned sense.

“I have strictly avoided all the paraphernalia of phraseology of the old sort of narrow and egotistic patriotic hymn, and doubt very much if there will ever be another successful hymn of that kind written.

“The cry to-day is world federation, and the ‘Hymn to Liberty’ is addressed to the nations of the world, especially in its first and third stanzas, in behalf of the idea of liberty for the race, as springing to birth in a new sense with the creating fo the American nation.”

I can’t find a recording of it anywhere. Are any of you musically-minded readers willing to record it?

Update 1: Reader SamECircle made a midi version you can listen to here. Awesome.

Update 2: Reader Daniel Dockery has made his own arrangement which you can hear on his website.

NEW NATIONAL HYMN TO BE SUNG HERE ON THE FOURTH: Arthur Farwell, Director of Music in the Parks and Recreation Piers, Has Written and Composed “A Hymn to Liberty.” Chorus of United German Singing Societies Will Sing It at City Hall and People’s Choral Union at the CCNY. (PDF)

From July 2, 1911