Origins: When a Knight Won His Spurs

Subject: anyone know this song??????
From: GUEST,vicky
Date: 23 Jun 01 - 06:09 PM

I am having a day trying to remember a song we used to sing when I was little at school. I remember the whole first verse, but not the rest of it. I have no clue how to go about searching for a song by it's first line, as I don't even know the name of it, but I know it's an English Folk song, the verse goes...

"When a Knight won his spur, in the stories of old
He was gentle and brave, he was gallant and bold
With a sheild by his side and a sword in his hand,
For God and for valour he rode through the land...."

Or some words to that effect, I know the lyrics go on about dragons and ogres and stuff, but no idea what it's called, where can I find a copy of the music? What the rest of the words are etc. Anyone out there have a clue??

I'd be grateful.

Thread title changed so it's more specific.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Help: anyone know this song??????
From: GUEST,Kernow John
Date: 23 Jun 01 - 06:30 PM

Here's the rest

No charger have I And no sword by my side
Yet still to adventure and battle I ride
Though back into storyland giants have fled
And the knights are no more and the dragons are dead

Let faith be my shield and let joy be my steed
'gainst the dragons of anger, the ogres of greed
And let me set free, with the sword of my youth,
From the castle of darkness, the power of truth.

Words by Jan Struther
KJ

Subject: RE: Help: anyone know this song??????
From: Cobble
Date: 23 Jun 01 - 06:31 PM

When I was at school it was sung as a hymn. Check old hymn books for a start. Hope that helps .

Cobble.

Subject: RE: Help: anyone know this song??????
From: GUEST,Kernow John
Date: 23 Jun 01 - 06:32 PM

Vicky
If you need the music let me know.
KJ

Subject: RE: Help: anyone know this song?????? - knight won his spur
From: GUEST,vicky
Date: 23 Jun 01 - 06:42 PM

You guys are awesome!!! Thank you so much! I am so excited, you don't know how often that song pops into my head and I can only remember the first verse! Ah childhood memories! That song would put fairy tales into my head where I would be the fair maiden captured by the dragons and my knight in shining armour would ride up on his trusty steed (yes this is the song that taught me what a steed actually is!) and save me ha ha! I am in fairy tale bliss now! Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Subject: RE: Help: anyone know this song?????? - knight won his spur
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Jun 01 - 07:26 PM

John, if you can get music, I'd like to add the song to the Digital Tradition. Thanks.
-Joe Offer (click to e-mail)-

Subject: RE: Help: anyone know this song?????? - knight won his spur
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 23 Jun 01 - 09:02 PM

One we used to sing at school when I was small; the tune is The Fair Flower of Northumberland, called Stowey in the hymn books, apparantly.  There's a useful .pdf with staff notation here:  Stowey

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Help: anyone know this song?????? - knight won his spur
From: GUEST,Willa
Date: 24 Jun 01 - 09:48 AM

Vicky; I know how you feel, the song has a similar effect on me.
Joe Offer, the Stowey tune Malcolm posted is the one I remember

Subject: RE: Help: anyone know this song?????? - knight won his spur
From:
Date: 24 Jun 01 - 10:17 AM

I'm looking for the name of an old song that has these lyrics.........

If they ask me I could write a book, about the way you walk and whisper and look

Subject: RE: Help: anyone know this song?????? - knight won his spur
From: nutty
Date: 24 Jun 01 - 10:34 AM

busnrete ... welcome to Mudcat ... it is usually more productive to start a new thread when you are looking for words - but as they were not hard to find

CLICK HERE

Subject: RE: Help: anyone know this song?????? - knight won his spur
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 24 Jun 01 - 03:15 PM

Back on topic.  I've made a midi from the notation I mentioned earlier, which was at the website of the Metropolitan Community Church of Manchester.  They don't name a source for the arrangement, so I presume that it's from a hymn book.  Until it gets to the Mudcat Midi Pages,  it can be heard via the  South Riding Folk Network site:

When a Knight Won his Spurs  -melody line only.
When a Knight Won his Spurs  -with accompaniment.

There are two sets of The Fair Flower of Northumberland in the DT; this one:

Fair Flower of Northumberland  has several tunes with it (unfortunately with no indication as to where any of them came from) the first of which is a variant of the one I'm familiar with, and to which Jan Struther's verses were set.  Another of her hymns (set to the Irish tune Be Thou My Vision) may be seen in an earlier discussion here:

Lord of All Hopefulness

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Help: anyone know this song?????? - knight won his spur
From: sophocleese
Date: 24 Jun 01 - 08:36 PM

The hymn tune is familiar. I've heard it as THe Children's Song of the Nativity from the Oxford Carol Book. They say the tune is English Traditional.

Subject: ADD: When a Knight Won His Spurs^^
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Jun 01 - 11:29 PM

OK, here's the definitive text I've gleaned from above and from other sites (couldn't find it in any of my hymnals - I've got about 50 of 'em). Kernow John, it's probably best to post the whole enchilada when you're posting a song, and to use the Digital Tradition format spelled out in the FAQ.
I couldn't figure out a DigiTrad category that's appropriate for this song. Any suggestions?
-Joe Offer-

---

WHEN A KNIGHT WON HIS SPURS
(Jan Struther)

When a knight won his spurs in the stories of old,
He was gallant and brave, he was gentle and bold,
With a shield on his arm and a lance in his hand,
For God and for valour he rode through the land.

No charger have I, and no sword by my side,
Yet still to adventure and battle I ride,
Though back into storyland giants have fled,
And the knights are no more and the dragons are dead.

Let faith be my shield, and let joy be my steed,
'Gainst the dragons of anger, the ogres of greed,
And let me set free with the sword of my youth,
From the castle of darkness, the power of the truth.

The tune is The Fair Flower of Northumberland, called Stowey in the hymn books. Jan Struther (pseudonym for Joyce Anstruther, 1901-1953) also wrote the hymn "Lord of All Hopefulness" (tune: Be Thou My Vision/Slane). She is best known for her 1940 wartime novel "Mrs. Miniver."


filename[ NITESPUR
KJ
Oct01^^

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2_8N7WsIFw

Subject: RE: Help: anyone know this song?????? - knight won his spur
From: IanC
Date: 25 Jun 01 - 04:51 AM

Joe

It's in most relatively modern English hymnals (e.g. "Songs of Praise" which is a real good''un as it has loads of folk tunes). On the net, the lyrics seem to be mainly on childrens' sites (it is a childrens' hymn). There's a brilliant parody of it called "The Headmaster's Hymn" by Allan Ahlberg.

By the way, what an amazing woman. I'd forgotten that she also wrote Mrs Miniver.

https://hymnary.org/hymn/CAH2000/731

Subject: ADD Version: When a Knight Won His Spurs
From: reynard
Date: 20 Jul 11 - 05:59 AM

I've transcribed Martin Simpson's changes- this song is too good to be left to God and/or children! Also I know it's about youth but I'm not young and I still want to sing it! Not sure if this is legal but I've added my own variation on the last verse. Be interested if anyone else has any ideas.

When a knight won his spurs in the stories of old
He was gentle and brave, he was gallant and bold
With a shield on his arm and a lance in his hand
For love and for valour he rode through the land

No charger have I And no sword by my side
Yet still to adventure and battle I ride
Though back into storybooks giants have fled
And the knights are no more and the dragons are dead

Let faith be my shield and let joy be my steed
'gainst the dragons of anger, the ogres of greed
And may truth be set free from the castle of fear,
With the sword of my wisdom made sharp through the years.

Subject: ADD Version: When a Knight Won His Spurs
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Sep 22 - 03:11 AM

The song now has a Wikipedia page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_a_Knight_Won_His_Spurs

The Wikipedia lyrics seem a little more polished than the ones I posted above.

WHEN A KNIGHT WON HIS SPURS
(lyrics by Jan Struther, melody: STOWEY)

When a knight won his spurs, in the stories of old,
He was gentle and brave, he was gallant and bold
With a shield on his arm and a lance in his hand,
For God and for valour he rode through the land.

No charger have I, and no sword by my side,
Yet still to adventure and battle I ride,
Though back into storyland giants have fled,
And the knights are no more and the dragons are dead.

Let faith be my shield and let joy be my steed
'Gainst the dragons of anger, the ogres of greed;
And let me set free with the sword of my youth,
From the castle of darkness, the power of the truth.