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Peter Wood
Not Bold Nelson’s Praise
Songs about Nelson and Trafalgar
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Not Bold Nelson’s Praise
Songs about Nelson and Trafalgar
Peter Wood
Mystic Seaport Symposium, June 13th 2014
Not Bold Nelson’s Praise
Songs about Nelson and Trafalgar
Peter Wood
Not Bold Nelson’s Praise
Songs about Nelson and Trafalgar
Bold Nelson's praise I am going to sing,(Not forgetting our glorious King)He always did good tidings bring,For he was a bold commander.There was Sydney Smith and Duncan too,Lord Howe and all the glorious crew;They were the men that were true blue.Full of care, yet I swearNone with Nelson could compare,Not even Alexander.
Bold Nelson’s Praise
• First heard sung by Bert Lloyd in a 1958 radio programme Title? “Bold Nelson’s Praise”
• Only found once, by Sharp in 1909 from Tom Gardiner in Warwickshire
• No broadside version
• Absent from all major folk song anthologies, notably Firth’s Naval Songs & Ballads (1908)
• My conclusion: it was written by somebody in Warwickshire for the 100th anniversary in 1905, but never took off until the post war revival
2
3
4
The Death of Nelson 1(O’er Nelson’s tomb with silent
grief)
Words by Samuel James Arnold , tune by John Braham, composed for the opera The Americans , first performed London, 1811.
Found in 41 broadsides, 30 by different known printers, another 11 “printer unknown”.
Reece Elliott, Durham miner, born 1894, remembers his grandfather, Frank, born 1832, singing the song interminably
Twas in Trafalgar’s BayWe saw the Frenchmen layEach heart was pounding thenWe scorned the foreign yokeOur ships were British oakHearts of oak were our menOur Nelson marked them on the waveThree cheers our gallant seamen gaveNor thought of home and beautyAlong the line this signal ranEngland expects that every manThis day will do his duty(This day will do his duty)
Broadsides 43 separate songs
B3 & B7 also found in OTFour others two copies foundRemaining 31 only one copy found
B1 Death of Nelson 1 41 O'er Nelson's tomb with silent grief oppress'd
B2 Death of Nelson 2 14 Come all you gallant seamen and give me a meeting
B3 Nelson’s Monument
14/8 Britain's long expected great news from our fleet
B4 Battle of Trafalgar 6 Come all you British heroes and listen to my song
B5 Grand Conversation
4 As some heroes bold I will unfold
B6 (Nelson’s/The Glorious Victory
4 Come all ye gallant heroes and listen unto me
B7 Brave Nelson 10/1 The 21st Day of October
B8 Nelson’s Death & Victory
3 Ye sons of Britain in chorus join and sing
5
Songs from Oral Tradition in England
Bold nelson's praise (Sharp)
Bold Nelson's praise I'm going to sing
The Death of Nelson 3(Gardiner)
Arise, ye sons of Britain, proclaim your loudest…
Nelson (Sharp) Come all you loyal seamen bold (1v)
Nelson's fame and England's glory (Greig) It was daylight the next morning
Admiral nelson (Unknown) Draw nigh good friends …
Nelson's death & Victory On the twenty-first of October, before the rising sun (1)
Nelson/Lord Nelson/Death of N.
Bold Britain's long expected good news from our fleet (7)
Songs not found as a broadside (and collected once only)
Songs also found as a broadside
6
Sharp 2470, Gardiner 1271, Hammond 606
Broadsides into the Tradition-17
Bold Britain’s long expected great news from our fleetCommanded by Lord Nelson the French for to meetTill at length the news came over, through the country was spreadThe French they were defeated, but Nelson was dead
Louis Killen “Death of Nelson”1960s
Daniel Wigg Hampshire, “Nelson”, 1906
8 Broadsides into the Tradition-1Nelson’s Monument
Nelson’s Monument B3 - 14 bs 8 OT
Not only brave Nelson, but thousands there was slainBy fighting of the French all on the watery main;To protect old England's glory, its honour and its wealthThey fought and would not yield, till they yielded unto death.
These merchants of Yarmouth, they hearing us say so,They said, “Come, brother sailors, to the Church let us go,And there we will build up an excellent pile,In remembrance of Nelson, the hero of the Nile.”
“Your plan,” then said Lord Exmouth, “it's excellent and good,A monument for Nelson and Lord Collingwood;Let it be polished with the marble to perpetuate his name,In letters of gold write, “He died for England's fame.”
Both seamen and soldiers, as I have been told,They have ordered themselves in readiness to hold,Their rights to maintain, our cause to support,And many an invitation showed us true British sport.
Both seamen and soldiers mighty deeds have done,Many has sons in foreign parts and many's the battle won,If the Nile could but speak, for Egypt do declare,All the world with Lord Nelson they could not compare.
Broadsides into the Tradition-1
• Bert Lloyd needed a good Trafalgar song for a radio programme in 1958.
• First Verse & RVW’s adaptation of Daniel Wigg’s tune for Nelson’s Monument
The next three verses based on those of another broadside, “The Death of Nelson 2”, (“Come all you gallant seamen that unite in a meeting”)
Last verse from elsewhere
Final “tag” from several other broadsides
9
Wigg’s Nelson’s Monument becomes The Death of Nelson 3
Bold Britons long expected good news from our fleetCommanded by Lord Nelson the French for to meetTill at length the news came over, and through the land was spreadThat the French was defeated, and Nelson was dead
He was as bold commander, as sailed the ocean wideHe made the French surrender to his terrible broadsideAnd one hundred fights he’d been in, and in never a one was beat Though he lost an arm and an eye likewise, no power could him defeat
This bold undaunted hero on the quarterdeck he stoodYou would admire his actions, with the decks awash with bloodWhen aloft all in the rigging, a Frenchman fired a ballAnd that was the cause of our bold Lord Nelson’s fall
Up stepped the doctor, in a hurry he did sayOh my Lord indeed I’m sorry, to see you bleed this wayOh no matter and no matter whatever about meIt’s to mi gallant seamen, your first duty should be
So come all of you bold heroes, let the bottle pass aroundFor Nelson was loyal, and true to the crownHere’s God bless all seamen who speak for his goodAnd likewise our fleet, and the brave Lord Collingwood
Oh but mourning , and mourn, oh mourn and complainFor the loss of Lord Nelson, who died on the main
10
Lloyd’s The Death of Nelson (my Death of Nelson 3)
Broadsides into the Tradition-1
Broadsides into the Tradition-2B7 Brave Nelson/Nelson’s Death & Victory (10 bs)
11
Ye sons of Britain in chorus join and sing:Great and joyful news is come to our royal king.An engagement we have had by sea, With France and Spain our enemy,And we've gained the glorious victory, Again, my brave boys.
On the twenty-first of October at the rising of the sunWe formed a line for action, at 12 o’clock beganBrave Nelson to his men did say, `The Lord will prosper us this day.Give them a broadside, fire away, My true British boys.‘
Broadside and broadside our cannon balls did fly,And small shot like hailstones on the deck did lie.Their masts and rigging were shot away, Besides, some thousand on that dayWere killed and wounded in the fray, On both sides, brave boys.
Heaven reward Lord Nelson and protect His men.Nineteen sail of the combined fleet was sunk and taken in.The Achille blew up amongst them all, Which made the French for mercy call.Nelson was slain by a cannon ball, Mourn, England, mourn.
Many a brave commander in tears he shook his head,But yet their grief was no relief for Nelson he lay dead.It was a fatal musket ball, Which caused our hero for to fall.He cried: `Fight on. God bless you all, My brave British tars.‘
Huzza, valiant seamen, huzza, we've gained the day,Though lost a bold commander who on the deck did lay;With joy we've gained the victory, Before me dead I now do see.`I die in peace, bless God,' said he, `The victory is won.‘
Let's hope this glorious battle will bring a peace,That our trade in England may prosper and increase;And our ships from port to port go free. As before let us with them agree,May this turn the heart of our enemy. Huzza, my brave boys.
George Dunn, Staffordshire, to Roy Palmer, 1971
12 Broadsides into the Tradition-2B7 Brave Nelson/Nelson’s Death & Victory (10 bs)
1. Twas the twenty first of October before the rising sunWe formed a line for action my boys at 12 o’clock begun
Our masts and rigging was shot away, Besides some thousands in that fray
Were killed and wounded on that day, On board the man o' war.
2 From broadside to broadside our cannon balls did fly;Like hailstones the small shot around our deck did lie.
Brave Nelson to his men did sayThe Lord will prosper us this day
Give them the broadside fire awayOn board the man of war
3. And then our brave commander with grief he shook his head, There is no relief, there is no reprieve, for Nelson he is dead.
It was a fatal musket ballThat caused our hero for to fall,
Let him die in peace God bless you allOn board the man o'war.
1. Twas the twenty first of October before the rising sunWe formed a line for action my boys at 12 o’clock begun
Our masts and rigging was shot away, Besides some thousands in that fray
Were killed and wounded on that day, On board a man o' war.
2 From broadside to broadside our cannon balls did fly;Like hailstones the small shot around our deck did lie.
Brave Nelson to his men did sayThe Lord will prosper us this day
Give them the broadside fire awayOn board the man of war
3. And then our brave commander with grief he shook his head, There is no relief, there is no reprieve, for Nelson he is dead.
It was a fatal musket ballThat caused our hero for to fall,
Let him die in peace God bless you allOn board a man o'war.
13Broadsides into the Tradition-2
Interpretations
Wood/HardyGrainger/Wilsons
Not Bold Nelson’s Praise
Songs about Nelson and Trafalgar
Peter Wood
14
Harry Cox
Daniel Wigg
Bert Lloyd
Louis Killen
Thanks for listening Folks!
