Hello survivors,

I have observed that we have another thread devoted to God Save The Queen. But as I have always found God Save The Queen a boring and laborious tune I thought you might like this a bit better.

Rule Britannia, came to the Victorians from an earlier century, but they took it to their hearts and seemingly acted upon it. So much so that there was a great deal of pride and status acredited to you if you were indeed, English.

"He is an Englishmen" sang the chorus in Gilbert & Sullivan's H.M.S Pinafore.

By the turn of the century the Victorians possessed the largest and most powerful navy the world had known.

Dr Thomas Arne (1710-1778) celibrated for his settings of Shakespeare songs such as Under the Greenwood Tree, composed Rule Britannia,as the finale to his Masque Alfred.It was first performed in the gardens of Clivedon House before the Prince and Princess of Wales, and was later produced at Drury Lane. The famous Tenor Thomas Lowe was the first to sing it, and 200 years on - 2,000.00 promenaders sing it at the Royal Albert Hall bringing an end annually to the promenade concert series.

The tune has been admired by many rival composers. It has been quoted by Handel in his 'Occassional Oratorio' and by Beethoven in his "Battle" Symphony. Richard Wagner, when writing a youthful overture on the theme, said that "the first eight bars express the whole character of the British nation". Nearer home, it has been suggested that it is also a hidden theme in one of Elgars, Enigma Variations.

The lyrics quoted here is not unadulterated Arne, but no 58 of the "Musical Bouquet", a series which ran from Schubert to the Monkey Quadrilles. The words were written by JAMES THOMSON (1700-1748), a noted Scottish poet remembered for his verse sequence, "The Seasons".

Most people turn the second line of the chorus into a statement - "BRITANNIA RULES THE WAVES" instead of Thomsons firm command: "BRITANNIA RULE THE WAVES!"

ENJOY...

Britain first at heavens command,
Arose from out the Azure main,
Arose, arose from out the azure main;
This was the charter,
the Charter of the land,
And Guardian angels sang the strain,

Rule Brittania, Britannia rules the waves, Britons never shall be slaves,
Rule Brittania, Britannia rules the waves, Britons never shall be slaves...

Nations not so blest as thee,
Must in their turns to tyrants fall,
Must in their turns,
their turns to tyrants fall;
while thou shalt flourish great and free,
The dread and envy of them all...

Rule Brittania, Britannia rules the waves, Britons never shall be slaves,
Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves, Britons never shall be slaves.

Maureen
Northern angel. Nighty night. Love to you all. :wub: :wub: :wub:

Load of jingoism really.

Load of jingoism really.

S'funny fanny....I thought it was google'ism


but is it really so bad that it's time to get on your soapbox??

Hello slipper and survivorfan,

If we need a new national anthem one which everyone can sing along with is a good idea.

God Save Our Gracious Queen, has oulived its popularity by all standards for it is representative only of the Royal head that is currently reigning. It could well be that as a figure head a few centuries further on we may not have a Royal family at all. Dissent in Britain is equally strong and its not that such dissenters would advocate the masacre of this dated Royal expense but its quiet disappearance into whatever British culture became.

There is still a great deal of pride in Britain and something similar to Rule Britannia equates to that feeling in a more pleasantly enjoyable way.

By the way the information was not googled, but shortened down from 8 documents and manuscripts I have on the aforementioned peice of memorabalia. I have ended many a local proms concerts and waved my little flag at a few as well. I like them. It is also the nearest you will ever get to a mass of people all singing, and doing the same thing as if they had been trained to do it, All there lives. Hence the music for these songs have originated in the old and ancient art of musical monkey quadrilles, which is why they were incorporated into military music and dressage. Pomp and circumstance is therefore a tradition worthy of maintaining.

Maureen
Northern angel.

It is also the nearest you will ever get to a mass of people all singing, and doing the same thing as if they had been trained to do it, All there lives.

How quickly you have forgotten The Birdy Song.

The children in my family love the birdie song plus a few other party novelty songs.As do adults also at parties.

But I'm sure you will find that RULE BRITANNIA, JERUSALEM, THE FLOWER OF SCOTLAND, MEN OF HARLECH or I VOW TO THEE MY COUNTRY, even GOD SAVE THE QUEEN are in a different musical league to the Birdie song.

Class versus trash is it not?

Maureen
Northern angel.

Class versus trash is it not?


Well you have to move with the times, people have a shorter attention span these days and don't have time to memorise all those long verses, so in a way THe Birdy Song could be considered better.

And what's with all this

Nations not so blest as thee,
Must in their turns to tyrants fall,
while thou shalt flourish great and free,
The dread and envy of them all

bit arrogant that, surely not appropriate in this day and age?

PS do you have any more information about the Musical Monkey Quadrilles?

Hello survivorfan,

I know what your're getting at here, could possibly be the sins of Imperialism and Colonialism. The way in which the Empire aquired territories certainly gave rise to more than a few tyrants including our ancestors. With hindsight we could say that these lines bear a heritage beyond the present, or it is the lessons from our histories which have lead us to who we are today.

I have never held an objection to singing such lines even though I am aware that they aren't just arrogant but it is taken from an earlier view of Classical White rules on Power within foreign countries often annexed to Britain. In defence of Britain though we aren't the only ones guilty of this. Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Holland to name a few have all done this. This is not inclusive of Russia or America who have always been in a kind of competition for power and control. In addition to this those whose history is more ancient than ours are also guilty of this, Egypt and Greece. Broadening or annexing territories, nearly always for personal gain. The enslaving of peoples for there resources skills and labour.

You also have to bear in mind that when these tunes and words were written, Britain was fast becoming the workshop of the world between the late 19th to early 20th century and during the 17th and 18th centuries was industrially ahead of most countries in terms of development. Britain was a proud nation and in some ways she still is. Great Britain.

Such is the way of the world, one can only hope it is civil and fair.

If you are seriously interested on the subject of musical monkey quadrilles. I will look through my sheet music and musical book and score archive and see what else I can find. I'd then let you know by e-mail. Musical history may not interest everyone, some may find it boring.

Maureen
Northern angel.:wub:

Maureen - no, it's OK, don't put yourself out researching the monkey music.

Oh come now Sf, don't be shy, you know you really want it.

The only monkey music I know is from the tv show Monkeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Seriously though Maureen, wouldn't it be disrepectful to the Queen to have monkeys performing at state occasions?

Her family don't usually perform, do they?

Boom boom!

Hello Survivorfan and Patsy,

Monkey = means to mimic or copy here.Also to monkey around mischieviously. Although monkeys' did in the Victorian era wind the handel of the old barrel organs for their impoverished owners.

Monkeys will imitate Parrots will repeat. I believe is the old slogan.

I can't see real monkey's performing can you, that would be a bit like asking the Queen if her Corgis' dance.

Patsy keep up the good work. I don't think the Royal family would make good performers not extrovert enough to give it a go. As a child I loved Basil Brush. Great centipede joke.

Maureen
Northern angel.