Song of Democracy- Howard Hanson

Background: The lyrics to this song are from a "An Old Man's Thought of School" by Walt Witman. The poem goes like this:

An old man's thought of School;
An old man, gathering youthful memories and blooms, that youth itself
cannot.  
Now only do I know you!
O fair auroral skies! O morning dew upon the grass!
And these I see--these sparkling eyes,
These stores of mystic meaning--these young lives,
Building, equipping, like a fleet of ships--immortal ships!
Soon to sail out over the measureless seas,
On the Soul's voyage.
Only a lot of boys and girls? 10
Only the tiresome spelling, writing, ciphering classes?
Only a Public School?
Ah more--infinitely more;
(As George Fox rais'd his warning cry, "Is it this pile of brick and
mortar--these dead floors, windows, rails--you call the church?
Why this is not the church at all--the Church is living, ever living
Souls.")
And you, America,
Cast you the real reckoning for your present?
The lights and shadows of your future--good or evil?
To girlhood, boyhood look--the Teacher and the School. 

Progress on the song: This is the only song I don't have to have memorized. (Probably because it is 11 minutes long.) Without the pressure of having it memorized it's not as bad, but the fact that I am still singing 32 pages of music isn't fun. It's hard to sing through the whole song at once because of its length so I am trying my best to go over it once or twice every time I practice. I need to get better at practicing every day, but with work, school, Aladdin rehearsal, and trying to have a social life it isn't very easy. Then again, none of this is and it's not supposed to be. I guess I just need to find motivation and make it happen.