Men of Harlech
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"Men of Harlech" or "The March of the Men of Harlech" (in Welsh: Rhyfelgyrch Gwŷr Harlech) is a song and military march which is traditionally said to describe events during the seven year long siege of Harlech Castle between 1461 and 1468.[1] Commanded by Constable Dafydd ap Ieuan, the garrison held out in what is the longest known siege in the history of the British Isles. [2] “Through Seven Years” is an alternate name for the song. [3] Now some associate the song with the earlier shorter siege of Harlech Castle around 1408, which pitted the forces of Owain Glyndŵr against the future Henry V of England."[citation needed]
"Men of Harlech" is sometimes mistaken for the national anthem of Wales. This is incorrect; the Welsh anthem is "Hen Wlad fy Nhadau" ("Land of my Fathers"). Still, the song occupies an important place in Welsh national culture. It is often the regimental march of regiments historically associated with Wales. The Royal Regiment of Wales, now the Royal Welsh (UK), the Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal) and the Governor General's Horse Guards, Canadian Forces are three examples.
The music was first published in 1784 as March of the Men of Harlech in The Musical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards. It first appeared with lyrics in Gems of Welsh Melody, edited by the Welsh poet, John Owen (Owain Alaw), published in London, England and Wrexham, Wales in 1860. The Welsh lyrics are by the Welsh poet John Jones (Talhaiarn), and the English lyrics by W.H. Baker. Since then, many different versions of the English lyrics have appeared.
The song gained international recognition when it was featured prominently in the film Zulu, although the version of lyrics sung in it were written especially for the film.
It was also used as part of the startup music for ITV station Teledu Cymru in the early 1960s and until recently in Fritz Spiegl's BBC Radio 4 UK Theme. The song features in an S4C television series Codi Canu, as an attempt is made to bring traditional four-part harmony choral singing back to the Welsh rugby terraces[citation needed].
The tune is used for the alma mater song of Georgetown University and of Pine-Richland school district in Pennsylvania. Its melody is used for the March of the Yale Conservative Party. It is also the theme song to Sydney Girls High School, Sydney, Australia, Sydney Technical High School, Bexley, Australia, St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace, Brisbane, Australia, Tantasqua Regional High School in Massachusetts, USA, Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, D.C., USA, King's College, Hong Kong and The Mackay School in Viña del Mar, Chile.
An instrumental orchestration of the song was often used as a score for NFL Films during the 1960s and 1970s.
The Alma Mater of Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., also uses it as its tune. Those lyrics appear below.
The song is also sung by fans of Cardiff City Football Club minutes before kick-off before every home match at their ground.
An adapted version is sung by the fans of Celtic Crusaders Rugby League Club.
It is also used as the tune of a spoof song The Woad Ode.
The music is used in the Sky One adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Hogfather, whilst the Unseen Univertisy Wizards are trying to cure Bilious's , the Oh God of Hangovers, hangover.
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[edit] Lyrics
There are numerous versions of "Men of Harlech". Those below are the most common English versions. See also The Woad Ode.
[edit] John Oxenford version
| Verse 1 Men of Harlech, march to glory, |
Verse 2 Thou, who noble Cambria wrongest, |
[edit] "Talhaiarn" version
| Verse 1 Glyndŵr, see thy comet flaming, |
Verse 2 Now to battle they are going, |
[edit] Zulu movie version
| Verse 1 Men of Harlech stop your dreaming |
(The above is sung almost twice in the film (the British open fire on the charging Zulus before the start of the final couplet), in counterpoint to the Zulu war chants and the sounds of their shields. Film editor John Jympson cut the scene to the song so that on either side of cuts where the British soldiers cannot be heard, the song is in the correct relative position.)
[edit] English version by John Guard
| Verse 1 Tongues of fire on Idris flaring, |
Verse 2 Loud the martial pipes are sounding, |
[edit] Georgetown University Alma Mater
Hail, oh Georgetown, Alma Mater,
Swift Potomac's lovely daughter,
Ever watching by the water,
Smiles on us today.
Now her children gather 'round her,
Lo, with garlands they have crowned her,
Reverent hands and fond enwound her,
With the Blue and Gray.
Chorus:
Wave her colors ever,
Furl her standards never,
But raise it high,
And proudly cry,
May Georgetown live forever.
Where Potomac's tide is streaming,
From her spires and steeples beaming,
See the grand old banner gleaming:
Georgetown's Blue and Gray.
Throned on hills beside the river,
Georgetown sees it flow forever,
Sees the ripples shine and shiver,
Watching night and day.
And each tender breeze upspringing,
Rarest woodland perfumes bringing,
All its folds to fullness flinging,
Flaunts the Blue and Gray.
[edit] Notes
- ^ The Oxford Companion to British History - Oxford University Press (1997) page 454; Dictionary of Ancient & Medieval Warfare by Matthew Bennett (2001)
- ^ Bert S. Hall, Weapons and Warfare in Renaissance Europe by (The Johns Hopkins University Press,2001) - page 212.
- ^ Winnie Czulinski, Drone On!: The High History of Celtic Music (Sound And Vision, 2004) page 107.
[edit] Sources
- Volkslieder, German & Other Folk Songs Homepage Men of Harlech
[edit] External links
- Cantorion - various arrangements for free download, CC-BY-SA license
- Men of Harlech - various versions of lyrics
- Royal Regiment of Wales' Band singing "Men of Harlech" (2.68MiB MP3) - recording in the church at Rorke's Drift, South Africa on the 120th anniversary of the Battle of Rorke's Drift.
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