The Spacious Firmament on High

SPECTATOR COMPETITION No. 410 The usual prize was offered for the first verse of a National (not international) Anthem—in any style —for the new realm of outer space conquered by Sputniks I and II.

HERE was scope, or space if you like, for the Frank Crummitts as well as the Rouget de Lisles. The setting, inspired by lines of the seventeenth- century poet, Samuel Daniel, was precise that the anthem was to be national; a patriotic hymn of the new, horizonless republic of the skies. A little serendipity was anticipated from the ethereal vast in which the competition would move. It was imagined, too, that some would get bogged down, so to speak, by the absence of mountain and flood; of native furrows to be slaked by foemen's gore. They did. Still, if there were some bits of Mrs. Alexander, it was an excellent entry and there was some Addison ('The spacious firmament on high') besides. Panache, hardly to be avoided in such a theme, appeared in various forms. A version of the Brabanconne (H. Hardman) was, therefore, reasonable, but it was a little shock to receive Deutschland iiber Alles, intact, as a suggestion (I. D. Macdonald) and from Germany at that. One tovarich (J. A. Lindon) clewed up his lines with a chorus in Russian characters and several (fie upon them) unsuccessfully chose our own National Anthem as their stave. Albericic, not on his usual form, was one of these. Gloria (sorry, not in excelsis this time) Prince was one who kept closely to the spirit of the competition and the usual impeccable style came with Vera Telfer and

G. J. Blundell. Too many wandered too far on the sputnik theme, or were led astray by a Russian first-on-the-spot complex. So there we are. Less said, more space for the entrant, as they may truly say when they fire the first man at the moon. Congratulations, then, to H. B. McCaskie and music to the tune of two guineas for his anthem. A guinea and a half each to K. V. Poole and W. K. Holmes, and a guinea to Arcas. Of the praiseworthy extracts which follow them, those entries of special merit are marked, appropriately enough, with a star. It remains only for me to wish all the competitors a Happy New Era.

PRIZES

(H. B. MCCASKIE)

Ours was no chance-found realm of gold, No gift of Nature's grace, But hard-won from the outer cold And cruelty of space; So if some taint of angry Earth Some envious purpose stain The primal wonder of its birth, Its manhood shall remain One more proud entry on the scroll That tells of man's enduring soul.

(K. V. POOLE)

Space, Space, beautiful Space,

Who could imagine so splendid a place? Transcendental, Platonic and outer still outerer, Spacemen and mortals alike do we bow to her. We'll ne'er abandon her—we've never tried, Knowing full well that there's Nothing outside. While spacemen sail space-ships across the space- sea

There's naught she shall lack save a peripheree. So we doff our space-helmets and raise them to thee—

Happy and glorious—ever victorious,* beautiful, beautiful Space I

(W. K. HOLMES)

We are the masters of ultimate space, Earthbound no more, an ethereal race. All the earth watches new star upon star Launched by our science to circle afar. Planet to planet our future will soar, System by system our children explore. Empires have risen to boast and decay; We plan for liberty light-years away. Farther and farther our freedom extends— Frontiers unknown till infinity ends!

(nacas) Sputnicia, star-spangled, ethereal, sublime, By frontiers unfettered, unmeasured of time,

0 realm of the Comet, 0 Meteorodrome,

How blest are the mortals who count thee their home!

In glorious gyrations as round thee we race We taste of the freedom of infinite space.

Though cramped in our cabin, we feel as it runs The swoop of the planets, the speed of the suns.

Thou hast taught us, Sputnicia, mere ground- lings to spurn; 0 prosper our course—if we falter, we burn!

COMMENDED

(D. R. PEDDY)

* Lord bless our gracious, spacious realm, Where nothingness is purer, Whose living-space would not disgrace The dreams of any FtIhrer. Protect our earth re-entry set; Lest we forget; lest we forget.

(ADRIENNE GASCOIGNE)

From harmony, from heavenly harmony This universal frame began.

By satellites, by heavenly satellites We've conquered outer space for man.

(DOUGLAS RAWSON)

Fair region of no gravity Unfouled by air or atmosphere, May no earth-born depravity Or man-made wickedness come here!

(ALLAN M. LAING)

This ring of space is ours to keep; No orbit knows a prouder bleep; And while the earth moves round the sun We'll keep the circle we have won.

(V. LANGTON)

* A people we have builded A realm from Fear set free; No pestilence shall enter, And War may never be.

(JAMES S. FIDGEN)

The Heavyside Layer Echoes with this our prayer God save our King Dan Dare, Lord of Outer Space!

(PANDORA)

* Collective comets streaming round, Shall all our enemies confound.