I've always had the impression that Soldiers of the Queen dated from late Victorian times, and was a big hit at the time of the Boer War (1899-1902?), which ties in to Breaker Morant. But Rorke's Drift (Zulu) was earlier than that.Anyway, I've known the tune since childhood, and it's still part of the British military brass band repertoire - always played when the Queen is reviewing her soldiers (Trooping of the Colour, etc). Many regimental bands have CD's available, and it's sure to be on several of these.
The words are a problem to me though - here's what I remember. Can anybody fill in the blanks?
It's the soldiers of the Queen, my lads,
Who've been, my lads, who've seen, my lads
It's the soldiers of the Queen, my lads,
----------------------
And when they -----------
And when they ask us what we've done
We will proudly point to every one
Of England's soldiers of the Queen
MIDI file: SOLQUEEN.MID
Timebase: 480
Tempo: 120 (500000 microsec/crotchet)
Key: G
TimeSig: 4/4 48 8
Name: Soldiers of the Queen
Start
0000 1 62 127 0319 0 62 000 0001 1 62 090 0159 0 62 000 0001 1 67 127 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 64 090 0479 0 64 000 0001 1 59 090 0479 0 59 000 0001 1 62 127 0719 0 62 000 0001 1 60 090 0239 0 60 000 0001 1 54 090 0479 0 54 000 0001 1 64 090 0479 0 64 000 0001 1 62 127 0719 0 62 000 0001 1 60 090 0239 0 60 000 0001 1 54 090 0479 0 54 000 0001 1 59 090 0479 0 59 000 0001 1 57 127 0719 0 57 000 0001 1 55 090 0239 0 55 000 0001 1 50 090 0479 0 50 000 0001 1 62 090 0319 0 62 000 0001 1 62 090 0159 0 62 000 0001 1 67 127 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 64 090 0479 0 64 000 0001 1 59 090 0479 0 59 000 0001 1 62 127 0719 0 62 000 0001 1 60 090 0239 0 60 000 0001 1 54 090 0479 0 54 000 0001 1 62 090 0319 0 62 000 0001 1 64 090 0159 0 64 000 0001 1 66 127 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 66 090 0319 0 66 000 0001 1 64 090 0159 0 64 000 0001 1 62 090 0319 0 62 000 0001 1 64 090 0159 0 64 000 0001 1 66 127 1439 0 66 000 0001 1 62 090 0479 0 62 000 0001 1 67 127 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 64 090 0479 0 64 000 0001 1 59 090 0479 0 59 000 0001 1 62 127 0719 0 62 000 0001 1 60 090 0239 0 60 000 0001 1 54 090 0479 0 54 000 0001 1 64 090 0479 0 64 000 0001 1 62 127 0719 0 62 000 0001 1 60 090 0239 0 60 000 0001 1 54 090 0479 0 54 000 0001 1 59 090 0479 0 59 000 0001 1 57 127 0719 0 57 000 0001 1 55 090 0239 0 55 000 0001 1 50 090 0479 0 50 000 0001 1 62 090 0319 0 62 000 0001 1 62 090 0159 0 62 000 0001 1 67 127 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 64 090 0479 0 64 000 0001 1 59 090 0479 0 59 000 0001 1 62 127 0719 0 62 000 0001 1 61 090 0239 0 61 000 0001 1 60 090 0319 0 60 000 0001 1 59 090 0159 0 59 000 0001 1 57 090 0319 0 57 000 0001 1 59 090 0159 0 59 000 0001 1 60 127 0479 0 60 000 0001 1 62 090 0479 0 62 000 0001 1 64 090 0479 0 64 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 67 127 1439 0 67 000
EndThis program is worth the effort of learning it.
To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here
ABC format:
X: 1
T:Soldiers of the Queen
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:120
K:G
d>d|
g2f2 e2B2|d3c F2 e2 |d3 c F2 B2 |A3G D2d>d|
g2f2 e2B2|d3c F2 d>e|f2f2 f>ed>e|f6 d2 |
g2f2 e2B2|d3c F2 e2 |d3 c F2 B2 |A3G D2d>d|
g2f2 e2B2|d3^c =c>BA>B|c2d2 e2 f2 |g6 ||
Wassail! V
^^