ADD: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred (Menzies/Smith)

Subject: ? lyrics - What Heroes Thou Hast Bred
From: GUEST,Banjoman'smate
Date: 14 Nov 10 - 08:17 AM

Being Remembrance Sunday I started singing one of my favourite school hymns, always sung at this time. Sadly I've forgotten some of the 2nd verse lyrics & cannot find them on the www. can anybody help me please?

Research has found that the words were written by G.K. Menzies. music possibly by Gustav Holst "Stepney"? It was in "Songs Of Praise" hymnal in 30's (I was singing it in the 1950's) &, according to Wiki, "The Oremus Hymnal" for schools. It is listed there but nothing else.

I knew it as "Heroes"

What heroes thou hast bred,
Oh England my country.
I see the mighty dead pass in line.
Each with undaunted heart
Playing his gallant part,
Making thee what thou art,
Mother of mine.

Then let me take my place,
Oh England my country.
Amid the gallant race that is thine.
-----------------
------------------
------------------
Mother of mine.

Nowadays this is probably considered not politically correct but I loved it as a child, it had a glorious tune & emotive words, & I would be delighted to recover the missing lines.

Hoping somebody can help, thanks in advance,

Carol.

Subject: RE: ? lyrics - What Heroes Thou Hast Bred
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 Nov 10 - 03:35 PM

I couldn't find it online either, but many libraries have the book:

Songs of Praise edited by Percy Dearmer, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Martin Shaw (London: Oxford University Press, 1936), page 97.

WorldCat.org might help you find it in a library near you.

Subject: RE: Lyrics Request: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred
From: GUEST,Banjoman's mate
Date: 16 Nov 10 - 10:09 AM

Thanks, Jim.

Does anybody else remember it apart from me?

Carol.

Subject: Lyr Add: WHAT HEROES THOU HAST BRED (Menzies/Smith
From: giles earle
Date: 16 Nov 10 - 01:23 PM

I don't know the hymn, even though we used Songs of Praise at school. However, these look like the words you are after:

WHAT HEROES THOU HAST BRED

What heroes thou hast bred,
O England, my country!
I see the mighty dead
    Pass in line,
Each with undaunted heart
Playing his gallant part,
Making thee what thou art,
    Mother of mine!

Then let me take my place
O England, my country!
Amid the gallant race
    That is thine,
Ready to hear thy call,
Ready to give thee all,
Ready, whate'er befall,
    Mother of mine!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred
From: GUEST,Banjoman's Mate
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 11:47 AM

Wonderful, thank you very much Giles. As soon as I read them I thought "Of course!"

Carol.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 01:22 PM

Once and for all, is it THOU HAST or HAST THOU?

(I'm pretty sure it isn't THOU HAS.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 06:14 PM

In Oremus hymns, 'What heroes thou hast bred."

Another, "What heroes thou hast bred, Unison song, words by G. K. Menzies (haven't seen). Sheet music Boosey & Hawkes.

Who wrote it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred
From: giles earle
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 02:37 AM

Definitely 'thou hast'. Oddly, I typed in the words without any title (or so I thought); I can't think where the 'hast thou' came from. If it was me, despite my conflicting recollection of launching straight into the poem, then my apologies for a stupid typo.

The British Library catalogue lists the unison song, which was published in 1949, as composed by A. Mc Leish Smith.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred
From: GUEST,Banjoman's mate
Date: 26 Nov 10 - 05:58 PM

Definitely "Thou hast".

I have no idea whose music I sang it to, just that it was a really stirring tune as far as I was concerned.

Carol.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred
From: 3refs
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 02:25 AM

"Nowadays this is probably considered not politically correct "
I don't care if anyone does! I don't!
I didn't dedicate my life to researching this(hymn?). But I did find a reference to it!

http://books.google.ca/books?id=wvd6Q_qv6CwC&pg=PA223&lpg=PA223&dq=What+heroes+thou+has+bred,+O+England,+my+country!&source=bl&o

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred
From: GUEST,Banjoman's Mate
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 07:25 PM

Thanks 3refs, I found that reference too but of course it didn't help me find the words I'd forgotten!

Carol

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Oct 11 - 01:23 PM

What heroes Thou hast bred oh England my country I see the mighty dead pass in line Then let me take my place among this Gallent race Ready what ere beface mother of mine read to give my all ready for battle call ready what ere befall mother of mine

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Oct 11 - 01:31 PM

I know most of the words we used to sing this in assembly at Kempstone Secondry Mordern school [e-mail] but in this land of todays traitors it is proberly banned

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred (Menzies/Smith
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Jan 13 - 01:41 AM

We have a transcription of the lyrics above in the post from giles earle, but I'm not 100 percent sure of the transcription. Does anyone have a copy of Songs of Praise so we can get an exact transcription, with attribution?
Thanks.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred (Menzies/Smith
From: GUEST,Jacquie
Date: 14 Mar 13 - 01:26 PM

Another verse I think !!
Our fathers loved thee well
Oh England my country
For thee they fought and fled ore the brine
Dying to establish thee queen of the boundless sea
Land of the fair and free
Mother of mine

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred (Menzies/Smith
From: GUEST,Mary Mallett (nee Northrop)
Date: 26 Jan 14 - 12:11 PM

I think it was my old school song at Presdales, Ware, Herts

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred (Menzies/Smith
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Apr 15 - 05:00 AM

In 1995 when my Father died I wanted this hymn at his funeral but I was told no one would know it and I would probably be singing it by myself. I loved this hymn when I was at school over 50 years ago. I am sure it shared a page next to Jerusalem which I also loved in our school hymn book.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred (Menzies/Smith
From: GUEST,Irene Gill
Date: 31 Aug 15 - 10:14 AM

What sort of heroes, I wonder? Military ones? Or intellectual ones, like Darwin? Or mountaineers? Sportsmen? The way it struck me at school during the war it was definitely chauvinistic, suggesting England was superior to the Jerries, the Japs, etc, in some absolute way.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred (Menzies/Smith
From: GUEST,David Francis
Date: 19 Oct 15 - 04:45 PM

I's number 325 in my copy of Songs of Praise - the tune was Stepney, written by Gustav Holst. It was one of the favourites at my school in the late 50s, probably owing more to the rousing tune than the lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred (Menzies/Smith
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jul 17 - 06:33 AM

David Leithes

This hymn was the school hymn at Thorney Close Secondary Modern Boys in Sunderland which i attended from 1956 until 1961
At the end of each term, the assembled pupils alway gave their all to this rousing composition.

Great memories.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred (Menzies/Smith
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Nov 18 - 07:41 AM

The missing lines are
Ready to hear thy call
Ready to give thee all
Ready whate're befall
Mother of mine

This was also our school hymn. I went to an all boys school in Pimlico London in the 1950s   As you might imagine hymn singing was not at the top of the list for teenage boys but when we sang this they would have heard it streets away.   I now have alzheimers but can still recall this song and our singing it and cherish that.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred (Menzies/Smith
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Jun 19 - 06:42 AM

Tony Edwards

I remember the hymn. We sang it at both primary and secondary schools in Wembley in the 1940's and '50's. I recall all the words and have constantly been amazed to find that nobody has ever heard it or of it when I mention it all these years later. Perhaps it's because England is the focus instead of UK, Great Britain, Scotland, Ireland or Wales. And that means the flag of St George - for so long now linked to 'racial' undertones, totally without justification.
Maybe the time is right to commission a recording of this excellent, soul-stirring hymn?
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred (Menzies/Smith
From: GUEST,Mike
Date: 16 Jan 20 - 01:27 PM

I remember it well Morso wy as it been Banned is about singing about England.
You can’t even find it on Amazon.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred (Menzies/Smith
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 16 Jan 20 - 01:45 PM

Mike, surely it has not been banned, has it ? Why, I wonder..I remember it well.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred (Menzies/Smith
From: GUEST,Michael Watson
Date: 29 Mar 21 - 04:22 AM

We also sang this hymn at assembly at Thorney Close Secondary Modern up until I left in 1960, I wonder if you could get it on CD or Tape, it would bring back great memories.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred (Menzies/Smith
From: GUEST,#
Date: 30 Mar 21 - 11:28 PM

There is reference to the hymn at the following site

"1909 H103 What heroes thou hast bred Stepney No" (see p,11)

http://www.holstsociety.org/application/files/1715/2173/3186/Gustav_Holst_-_List_of_Works.pdf

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred (Menzies/Smith
From: GUEST,#
Date: 31 Mar 21 - 08:46 AM

"1909 H103 What heroes thou hast bred Stepney No"

1909 is the year it was written.

H103 -- is a reference used by the Society

Whthb -- is the title

Stepney -- is the tune used

No -- is whether it was recorded or not

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Heroes Thou Hast Bred (Menzies/Smith
From: GUEST,Laurie
Date: 17 Jul 24 - 04:42 PM

I remember thsi shool hymn at the school in Pimlico.

I have Alzhiemers as well and actually woke this morning singing it in my mind and it brought back lots of memories of those days in the fifties