"Our Albany" by Frances V. Hubbard (ca. 1913)

OUR ALBANY.

(Air "Materna")

Beside the noble, flowing stream

        That honors Hudson's name,

And mem'ries bears of heroes grand,

        Of names well known to fame,

Stands Albany, our Albany,

        Crowning the rising shore

In stately pride, while, blue and wide,

        The river flows before.

Here dwelt, of old, heroic souls

        Who dared the right maintain

When tyranny spent all its strength

        To conquer, but in vain,

Old Albany, our Albany,

With heroes true and tried,

A patriot band, fought for our land

        And kingly troops defied.

To-day our hearts, our hopes we lay

        upon her altar fires,

And, for the future, pledge the zeal

        That ardent love inspires

For Albany, our Albany,

        God grant that she may stand,

A city fair beyond compare,

        A glory to our land.

(Written for The Woman's Club of Albany, by Frances V. Hubbard.)

https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/item/bdr:275361/

The air "Materna" is better known as "America the Beautiful." The first stanza of the above appeared on the front page of the Albany Evening Journal on May 28, 1913. "Our Albany" might be the "Albany, My Albany" mentioned in the obituary that ran for her in Albany:

        Mrs. Frances V. Hubbard, mother of U.S. Commissioner Lester T. Hubbard and widely-known clubwoman and song writer, is dead today after an illness of a week. She lived at 120 Elm. Mrs. Hubbard wrote “Albany, My Albany,” composed words for several operas and religious pageants, and contributed to newspapers and magazines.

        The National Society of New England in 1939 gave her a distinguished service award for her literary and social work. She served as a sergeant in the Red Cross in the first World War. She was a member of Gansevoort Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution; Albany Colony of New England Women, Pi Gamma Nu Social Science Honorary Society, the City Club, the Monday Musical Club and the Westminster Presbyterian Church. Funeral services will be Monday afternoon at the Tebbutt Memorial Chapel, with burial in Oakwood Cemetery, Troy.

“Mrs. Frances V. Hubbard.” Knickerbocker News [Albany, NY]. July 10, 1943: 2B col 4.

                                                                                                Christopher K. Philippo