Jerusalem - why sung by the Women's Institute?

Subject: Jarusalem
From: GUEST,tatterfoal
Date: 06 Oct 09 - 12:29 PM

We were morris dancing for the Womens Institute last night , and they tradionaly started with a singing of Jarusalem but no one knew why they do this, can any Mudcatter throw any light on why the tradition started with the W.I.?

Subject: RE: Jarusalem
From: Emma B
Date: 06 Oct 09 - 12:34 PM

'During the 1920s, many WIs started choirs and NFWI set up a music committee and appointed a Mr Leslie as an advisor.

Mr Leslie held a one-day school for village conductors in London in early 1924. He asked his friend Sir Walford Davies to write an arrangement of Hubert Parry's setting of Jerusalem, for WI choirs. This hymn with its association with the fight for women's suffrage was appropriate for the newly emerging WI movement which was encouraging women to take their part in public life, and to fight to improve the conditions of rural life.

Mr Leslie suggested that Walford Davies' special arrangement for choir and string orchestra should be performed at the Annual General Meeting of NFWI held in the Queen's Hall, London in 1924. He himself conducted the singing, bringing a choir from local WIs with him to lead.

This was so successful that it has been sung at the opening of NFWI AGMs to this day. Many WIs also open meetings by singing Jerusalem. Although it has never actually been adopted as the WI's official anthem, in practice it holds that position.'

From Wiki

Subject: RE: Jarusalem
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Oct 09 - 12:41 PM

Thankyou for that I am going to spread the word at our next dance practice.

Subject: RE: Jarusalem
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 06 Oct 09 - 12:50 PM

Jerusalem is a lot more inspiring when sung to The Rose Tree tune.

Subject: RE: Jerusalem
From: greg stephens
Date: 06 Oct 09 - 01:26 PM

Better tell the man who runs the proms.

Subject: RE: Jerusalem
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 06 Oct 09 - 01:27 PM

Do you mean The Rose Tree as in Portlairge? Can't mentally fit it to that polka rhythm somehow.

Subject: RE: Jerusalem
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 06 Oct 09 - 02:01 PM

Bob Davenport does it to The Rose Tree tune. I take more notice of his musical judgment than that of Roger Wright.

Subject: RE: Jerusalem
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 06 Oct 09 - 02:08 PM

From the notes of Send Your Best Men Forward with Roger Digby, recorded at the English Country Music Weekend 2001:

"Bob set William Blake's 'Jerusalem' to 'The Rose Tree' because Blake would sing his poems to his friends and somehow a traditional dance tune seems to catch the feeling of the poem rather than the orchestration Parry produced".

Subject: RE: Jerusalem
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 07 Oct 09 - 04:15 AM

OOI Countess, who Roger Wright? Can't find him mentioned anyway on this thread so far.   M

Subject: RE: Jerusalem
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 07 Oct 09 - 04:23 AM

Roger Wright is Director of the Proms. And head honcho of R3.

Subject: RE: Jerusalem
From: Spleen Cringe
Date: 07 Oct 09 - 04:25 AM

Roger Wright

Subject: RE: Jerusalem
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 07 Oct 09 - 04:45 AM

Thank you both. Why, what abysmal ignorance to·be·sure.

Down·garden·to·eat·worms·time·again, methinks.

Still — just picture to yourselves the attitude of the Last Night Prommers if they got Bob D in to lead in singing it his way [even if that Blake's own way, which I beg leave to question]. Why, he would be lucky to escape with his life...

Subject: RE: Jerusalem
From: sian, west wales
Date: 07 Oct 09 - 07:00 AM

I wonder if the WIs in Canada use it? The WI was started in Canada (Stony Creek, near Hamilton) as quite a radical organization for the improvement of welfare. It first came to the UK via Llanfairpwllgwyngyllchwyrdrobwyllllantisiliogogogoch, Anglesey. Interesting that a Welshman, Walford Davies, was responsible for the arrangement of Hubert Parry's tune.

sian

Subject: RE: Jerusalem - why sung by the Women's Institute?
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 07 Oct 09 - 10:35 AM

I dare you to say that again, without cut and paste!

Subject: RE: Jerusalem - why sung by the Women's Institute?
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 07 Oct 09 - 10:46 AM

In what way is it 'interesting' [even in terms of Cambrian patriotism] that Walford Davies was involved? He was after all Master Of The King's Music. Perhaps a somewhat counterproductive comment — would it have been'interesting' if it had been Vaughan Williams?

Subject: RE: Jerusalem - why sung by the Women's Institute?
From: GUEST,Edthefolkie
Date: 07 Oct 09 - 06:04 PM

Here's the original in the Preface to "Milton"

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/17/Milton_preface.jpg

The music to Jerusalem which we get at the Last Night of the Proms is Parry all right, but in Elgar's arrangement. What a shame we no longer have John Barbirolli to conduct and Kathleen Ferrier to help with the singing.

Paul Robeson recorded a cracking version - I suspect at Abbey Road. Managed to get it played at my mum's funeral.

Subject: RE: Jerusalem - why sung by the Women's Institute?
From: Darowyn
Date: 08 Oct 09 - 04:26 AM

It's a great tune if you play a guitar tuned to a C6 or A6 open tuning.
Tonic, third, fifth, sixth- the first four notes of the tune.
For a standard guitar, you need the intro to "My Girl"- the Otis Redding version is best!
Cheers
Dave