Origin: Bold Nelson's Praise

Subject: Song: Bold Nelsons Praise-info reqd
From: yrlancslad
Date: 17 Jan 07 - 11:31 PM

Hi I'm about to put the above song on a CD and I've known it for so long I can't remember anything about it. Where it was collected, who from, etc. Nor who I got it from. I seem to hear Louis Killen singing it in my head but I may be wrong. Can anyone help please

Subject: RE: Song: Bold Nelsons Praise-info reqd
From: scouse
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 04:59 AM

I seem to remember that Robin and Barry Dransfield sang it on their "Lord of all I behold." Lp back in the 70's
As Aye,
Phil

Subject: RE: Song: Bold Nelsons Praise-info reqd
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 05:28 AM

It's part of a medley: Bold Nelson's Favourite/Bold Nelson's Praise/The Princess Royal/Saddle The Pony on LER 2026 which is reproduced on the Free Reed compilation Up To Now, made available by generous permission of Dave Bulmer, Neil Sharpley and the CMD Leader Trailer Archive. Well, wasn't that oh so nice of them.

Subject: RE: Song: Bold Nelsons Praise-info reqd
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 05:47 AM

Actually, here is just about all you could ever wish to know about Bold Nelson's Praise, tune copyright Turlough O'Carolan (more or less), not Celtic Music.
http://www.contemplator.com/england/nelson.html

Subject: RE: Song: Bold Nelsons Praise-info reqd
From: Snuffy
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 09:21 AM

Only found once - collected by Cecil Sharp on 9th September 1909 from Tom Gardiner at Blackwell, near Ilmington. Blackwell was in Worcestershire at the time, but is now Warwickshire.

Roud No 1574 - more details at VWML Online The website for the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library

Subject: RE: Song: Bold Nelsons Praise-info reqd
From: Schantieman
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 11:02 AM

It's in The Crystal Spring (can't remember which volume). Only two verses - are there any more?   Well known Morris tune, of course.

Steve

Subject: RE: Song: Bold Nelsons Praise-info reqd
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 11:21 AM

Three verses in the Contemplator link above.

The tune is a variant of The Princess Royal (which is why the Dransfields put them together in the set which originated (unless he nicked it from some very early Morris dancers) from O'Carolan's Miss MacDermott

Subject: RE: Song: Bold Nelsons Praise-info reqd
From: Schantieman
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 11:34 AM

Ah yes - thank you. I'd heard that verse sung before.

S

Subject: RE: Song: Bold Nelsons Praise-info reqd
From: Anglo
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 08:18 PM

Nobody sems to have mentioned yet that Sharp published his piano arrangement in his "One Hundred English Folksongs (for medium voice)" from 1916, still available in reprint from Dover, I believe. Three verses.

There are also recent recordings by the New Scorpion Band and (yes) Strawhead.

Subject: RE: Song: Bold Nelsons Praise-info reqd
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 09:12 PM

The attribution to Carolan is not proven, and was not asserted until the early 19th century; information at 'Contemplator' is always copied from elsewhere, usually without proper references, and so is not to be trusted unless independently verifiable.

Note that I'm not saying that Carolan didn't write the tune; just that we have no way of knowing whether he did, or whether it was merely attributed to him at a later date; as were a good many other pieces. See previous discussions here on 'Princess Royal'.

Subject: RE: Song: Bold Nelsons Praise-info reqd
From: yrlancslad
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 10:07 PM

Thanks guys, you always come through with the goods.
Never heard that Dransfield version though and Louis Killen still rings in my head, anyone got an album with him doing it? Also I only sing two verses, the second one made up of the first part of the second verse as recorded by Contemplator and the last part of the third verse. The person I got it from must have sung it that way.
Thanks again for your good info-now I'll go look you up on the profile/photo pages-see what you erudite folks look like
Malcolm

Subject: Lyr Add: BOLD NELSON'S PRAISE (from Cecil Sharp)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Jan 11 - 07:13 PM

From One Hundred English Folksongs edited by Cecil J. Sharp (Boston: Oliver Ditson Company, 1916), page 202, where it has musical notation for one voice and piano:

BOLD NELSON'S PRAISE
Collected and arranged by Cecil J. Sharp

1. Bold Nelson's praise I'm 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 swear,
None with Nelson could compare,
Not even Alexander.

2. Bonaparte he threaten'd war,
A man who fear'd not wound nor scar,
But still he lost at Trafalgar,
Where Britain was victorious.
Lord Nelson's actions made him quake,
And all French pow'rs he made to shake.
He said his king he'd ne'er forsake.
These last words
Thus he spoke:
Stand true, my lads, like hearts of oak,
And the battle shall be glorious.

3. Nelson bold, though threaten'd wide,
And many a time he had been tried,
He fought like a hero till he died
Amid the battle gory;
But the day was won; their line was broke,
While all around was lost in smoke,
And Nelson he got his death-stroke.
That's the man
For old England!
He faced his foe with his sword in hand
And he lived and he died in his glory.