“Punctually at five minutes to 4 o’clock the procession of choristers left their temporary vestry and slowly approached their stand. At 4 o’clock precisely, meridian time, the British Ensign was hoisted, which was the pre-arranged signal, the band immediately struck up and every throat commenced ‘God Save the Queen’ while the public school guard stood at the ‘Present.’
“Undoubtedly the occasion was unique, and Levuka never forgot for a moment that her geographical position was unique also, in so far as she enjoyed the proud distinction of being allowed to start the wave of song which in its course would pass over in rotation all the British possessions on the face of the globe.”
At that same time, and while Her Majesty slept at 4.05 a.m. at Windsor, the Executive of the Sons of England and Lodge Commercial were in meeting at Shaftesbury Hall, Toronto. Precisely at 10.55 p.m., on Saturday 19th, they sang the National Anthem, commenced that same moment on Sunday afternoon in Levuka, and which for the next 17¼ hours was to be coming steadily nearer with the sun until it was over Toronto at 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, when the Sons of England in Toronto again joined in the loyal strain as it pushed by them onwards toward the West.
Three minutes after Levuka had commenced, Suva, the Fiji capital, took up the strain. Mr. Hamilton Hunter says: “I am glad to report that the Special Jubilee Service was a great success in this Colony. It was not merely confined to the English Church but was heartily taken up by the Roman Catholics, Presbyterian and Wesleyan Churches. The National Anthem was sung on the stroke of four. I have to thank you for having enabled us to set ‘The Wave of Song’ in motion by your timely warning, and I can assure you that though our numbers are small and consequently the volume of sound was less than in larger colonies, yet the loyalty shown in Fiji to Her Most Gracious Majesty on the 60th anniversary of her reign, could not have been exceeded in any other part of the Empire.”
Nineteen minutes later, or before the services in the Fijis had closed, the Anthem was taken up, in Napier, New Zealand. The report says, “The Jubilee services at the cathedral yesterday will be remembered by the Napier people for many a long year, and it is questionable whether a more imposing ecclesiastical spectacle was ever witnessed in New Zealand. The cathedral was crowded to excess, all the friendly societies of Napier being present.” The Dean writes: “As Dean of the easternmost Cathedral in the British Empire, the cathedral upon which the rays of the rising sun first fall, I have to report that, in accordance with your wishes, we commenced the great circle of Anthem singing, as arranged for by the Sons of England, at 4 o’clock on the afternoon of Sunday last. The service was a very magnificent and enthusiastic one. I convey my most hearty good wishes to you, and to the members of the great organization you represent.”
The wave swept across Australia. At Melbourne, Victoria, B. Cowderoy, Esq., Secretary R.C.I., reports: “Both cathedrals (Anglican and Roman Catholic) were crushingly full. In the Exhibition building several thousands, after addresses by leading Wesleyans, took up the National Anthem at our standard time. In the town hall the Anthem was sung with fervor at 4 p.m. by 4,000 voices with most impressive effect. I am an octogenarian, but in this matter I am as young as my eight grandsons, and thank you, Mr. Cumberland, for your happy suggestion which has given added interest to all that is being done.” Adelaide, S. Australia: “The Bishops of the Diocese entered heartily into the scheme. The Governor and his staff were present. The National Anthem was sung with intense fervor and most thrilling effect.” So it passed through the other cities and over the continent of Australia.
Across the Indian Ocean. Empress of India marked the lat. 26.6. n.; long. 120. 26. e. “Rockets fired and National Anthem sung at 4 p.m. off Alligator Rock.” It first touched Africa and was hailed by the lodge of the Sons of England at Durban, Natal, and then, in continuing line across South Africa, in all the principal cities and Cape Town, the record was maintained.
On the Atlantic Ocean it was taken up on many British ships at sea, among whom a few only may be mentioned. R.M.S. Tantallon Castle, lat. 7. 17. n.; long. 14. 33. w., off west coast of Africa: “Guns fired and Anthem sung at 4 p.m. S.S. Greek, lat. 18. 10. n.; long. 17. 38. w.: “Fired rocket and sang National Anthem.” S.S. Numidian: “God Save the Queen sung precisely at 4 p.m.;” ship’s position, lat. 54. 42.; long. 20. 43. w. S.S. Catalonia: “At 4 p.m. I had two explosive gun signals fired on my ship in lat. 50. 12. n.; long. 22. 6. w. It was blowing a south-west gale with high seas, and it was a great disappointment to me that we could not hold the service I had intended, but all classes of passengers were so sea-sick.”
By the equivalent time of 7.31 p.m. at Windsor Castle the Anthem had crossed the Atlantic, and first touched the shores at St. John’s, Newfoundland, when it was met by Lodge Dudley, S.O.E., assembled, together with the Governor-General and all the friendly societies in the Cathedral. “The service was impressive in the extreme.” From here westward through Canada I need not dilate how that as the sun crossed the continent the line through the villages, towns and cities of Canada was so complete that the singing of the Anthem in one place had not ceased before it was taken up in the next. As says the report from Orillia, “as the familiar words were sung with lusty fervor by nearly a thousand voices, until the volume almost raised the roof, the sun passed the hour of four. In imagination the congregation could hear the strains as they rolled up from the east and died away into the west.” At Toronto, 3,000 people were packed into the Cathedral. After completion of the prayers there remained four minutes before it was our turn to take our place in the circle of song. By direction of His Lordship, the Bishop, the congregation knelt in silent prayer for Her Majesty and the welfare of the Empire. An immense throng of 6,000 to 7,000 people filled the grounds and the adjacent streets outside, and a Regimental Band had been stationed on the Cathedral steps to lead their singing. At the stroke of the Cathedral bell, which had been arranged to ring at 4.18 p.m., being the real meridian time for 4 p.m. at Toronto, the congregation rose and joined with those outside in uplifting with heart and voice their loyal prayer, “God save our gracious Queen.” Those were moments of a life-time while we waited in silence for the coming of the anthem. Thus actually minute after minute the Anthem strain followed the hours across this continent to the shores of the Pacific at Victoria, British Columbia, where an open-air service was held at the equivalent of 12.13 midnight at Windsor Castle. “Among those present at Beacon Hill Park were the Lieut.-Governor, the Mayor, the Admiral and officers of the ships in harbor. At 4 o’clock the bugles rang out, the royal standard was run up to the masthead, and the National Anthem was sung with full force by an assemblage of 12,000 people.”
From here, leaving the land, the Anthem wafted its way back to the place of beginning, being joined as it passed by the S.S. Aorangi, in lat. 32. 25. n.; long. 147. 49. w., and by the Empress of China, lat. 41. 16. n; long. 152. 30. w., until at length it came to the little island, which is as far on one side of long. 180, the central degree of longitude, a Levuka from where it had started is on the other. Here the West had met the East. I will give the last letter, as it deserves, in full, from the lighthouse-keeper on the island:—