 "Sea Drift" (a cantata with words taken from a poem by Walt Whitman) was premiered at Essen in 1906, and the opera "A Village Romeo and Juliet" in Berlin in 1907.Delius's reputation in Germany remained high until the First World War; in 1910 his rhapsody "Brigg Fair" was given by 36 different German orchestras.By 1907, thanks to performances of his works in many German cities, Delius was, as Thomas Beecham said, "floating safely on a wave of prosperity which increased as the year went on".