Lyr Req: Songs for Trafalgar Night

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs for Trafalgar Night
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 05 Jul 05 - 10:31 AM

Ca Ira was out of favour with Napoleon and the upper echelons, but it was immensley popular. Not being able to get rid of it irked Napoleon to no end.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs for Trafalgar Night
From: Snuffy
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 08:39 AM

Bold Nelson's Praise

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs for Trafalgar Night
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 09:27 AM

Nice link, Snuffy, complete with sound!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs for Trafalgar Night
From: GUEST,Charmian
Date: 16 Jul 05 - 02:40 AM

Ahoy there - Thanks very much for the "Bold Nelson's Praise" etc. Script and music going along well for October's bash.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs for Trafalgar Night
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 17 Oct 05 - 10:26 AM

Click here for Toomy's Gone To Hilo (Robyn's version)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs for Trafalgar Night
From: The Walrus
Date: 17 Oct 05 - 01:14 PM

I know that this will probably be too late (unless you know one or two of the songs already) but I just came across a couple of references to CDs which give some French songs of the period.

Soldats, Conscrits et Déserteurs. La Chanson Traditionnelle: Anthologie de la Chanson Française.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=852934&sourceid=07846992830705569096#About+the+Album

1. La Tempete
2. La Milice
3. Le Conscrit de 1810
4. Concrits, Egayons nos Vingt Ans
5. La Partance
6. Soldat par Chagrin
7. Le Conseil de Guerre (Le Condamne a Mort)
8. Ce sont Trois Jeunes Garcons (La Visite a Adele)
9. Villa de Chambery
10. Adieu Marie
11. Aupres de ma Blonde
12. La Lettre de Pelot de Betton
13. Reveillez-vous, Picards !
14. L'Homme Arme
15. Trois Jeunes Tambours
16. Le Soldat Mecontent
17. A Biribi
18. Quand Madelon
19. Dans les Tranchees de Lagny
20. Non, Non, Plus de Combats

and

la chanson traditionnelle: la mer les ports & marine

http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,286602,00.html

- track listing   
track# song name                         performer (track time)
1      Avoine                            Chifonnie (3:32)   
2      Petit Mecelot                      Parisell, Emmanuel (3:33)3      Trois Maçon                        Jolis Yacoub, Gabriel (3:09)4      Tailleur de Pierre                Robine, Marc (3:30)   
5      Par Ou You                                 (2:51)   
6      C'Est un Picard, C'Est un Normand Bardot, Jacky;Rasle, Jean-Pierre (2:42)      
7      Christophe                         Bernard, Michéle (2:44)8      Chaudronnier                      Benhaïm, Dany (4:45)      
9      Rémouleur (1)                      Ben (1:52)      
10    Rémouleur (2)                      Le Corou de Berra (:32)11    Barbière                               (4:27)      
12    Compagnons Dauphinois             Bardot, Jacky (4:03)      
13    Scieurs de Long                   La Kinkerne (3:21)      
14    Ceinture d'Argent                  Chifonnie (3:37)      
15    Beau Garçon                        Jardinier Ben (2:26)      
16    Chanson de l'Aiguille Grimm,       Chantal (3:13)      
17    Voici Demain Saint-Blaise          Bardot, Jacky (3:13)      
18    Briolages                         Baudimant, Mick (1:28)      
19    Trimardeurs                        Le Corou de Berra (3:59)20    Prends Pas un Serrurier            Ben (2:20)      
21    Canuts                            Robine, Marc (3:37)      
22    Vieux Modèle                      Grimm, Chantal (3:15)      
23    Calfats                            Desnos, Christian (2:51)24    Marchands des Quatre Saisons       Ben, Mireille (2:03)

I have no idea about the true vintage (altough they came up on a "Napoleonic" site) or the quality of the songs.

Walrus

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs for Trafalgar Night
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 17 Oct 05 - 05:03 PM

Mick (Pearce) sings a couple of good Nelson songs: Carrying Nelson Home and Death of Nelson.

Rhiannon

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs for Trafalgar Night
From: Mr Fox
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 06:33 AM

From Hardy's 'The Dynasts':

I

In the wild October night-time, when the wind raved round the land,
And the Back-sea met the Front-sea, and our doors were blocked with sand,
And we heard the drub of Dead-man's Bay, where bones of thousands are,
We knew not what the day had done for us at Trafalgar.

II

"Pull hard, and make the Nothe, or down we go!" one says, says he.
We pulled; and bedtime brought the storm; but snug at home slept we.
Yet all the while our gallants after fighting through the day,
Were beating up and down the dark, sou'-west of Cadiz Bay.

III

The victors and the vanquished then the storm it tossed and tore,
As hard they strove, those worn-out men, upon that surly shore;
Dead Nelson and his half-dead crew, his foes from near and far,
Were rolled together on the deep that night at Trafalgar!

I believe Martin Carthy and/or John Kirkpatrick have set it to music.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs for Trafalgar Night
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 06:57 AM

I came across this while researching the subject about 18 months ago, can't remember the source though!

French Report of Trafalgar
From The Naval Chronicle,
Vol. XIV,
July to December 1805
The English fleet is annihilated! Nelson is no more!
Indignant at being inactive in port, whilst our brave brethren in arms were gaining laurels in Germany, Admirals Villeneuve and Gravina resolved to put to sea, and give the English battle.
They were superior in number, forty-five to our thirty-three; but what is superiority in numbers to men determined to conquer?
Admiral Nelson did every thing to avoid a battle; he attempted to get into the Mediterranean, but we pursued, and came up with him off Trafalgar.
The French and Spaniards vied with each other who should first get into action. Admirals Villeneuve and Gravina were both anxious to lay their Ships alongside the Victory, the English Admiral's Ship.
Fortune, so constant always to the Emperor, did not favour either of them - the Santissima Trinidada was the fortunate Ship.
In vain did the English Admiral try to evade an action: the Spanish Admiral Oliva prevented his escape, and lashed his Vessel to the British Admiral. The English Ship was one of 136 guns; the Santissima Trinidada was but a 74.
Lord Nelson adopted a new system: afraid of combating us in the old way, in which he knows we have a superiority of skill he attempted a new mode of fighting.
For a short time they disconcerted us; but what can long disconcert his Imperial Majesty's arms? We fought yard-arm to yard-arm, gun to gun.
Three hours did we fight in this manner: the English began to be dismayed - they found it impossible to resist us; but our brave sailors were tired of this slow means of gaining a victory; they wished to board; the cry was, "à la bordage!" Their impetuosity was irresistible
At that moment two Ships, one French and one Spanish, boarded the Temeraire: the English fell back in astonishment and affright - we rushed to the flag-staff - struck the colours - and all were so anxious to be the bearer of the intelligence to their own Ship, that they jumped overboard; and the English ship, by this unfortunate impetuosity of our brave sailors and allies, was able, by the assistance of two more Ships that came to her assistance, to make her escape in a sinking state.
Meanwhile Nelson still resisted us. It was now who should first board, and have the honour of taking him, French or Spaniard - two Admirals on each side disputed the honour - they boarded his Ship at the same moment - Villeneuve flew to the quarterdeck - with the usual generosity of the French, he carried a brace of pistols in his hands, for he knew the Admiral had lost his arm, and could not use his sword - he offered one to Nelson: they fought, and at the second fire Nelson fell; he was immediately carried below.
Oliva, Gravina, and Villeneuve, attended him with the accustomed French humanity.
Meanwhile, fifteen of the English Ships of the line had struck their colours - four more were obliged to follow their example - another blew up.
Our victory was now complete, and we prepared to take possession of our prizes; but the elements were this time unfavourable to us; a dreadful storm came on - Gravina made his escape to his own Ship at the beginning of it - the Commander in Chief, Villeneuve, and a Spanish Admiral, were unable, and remained on board the Victory.
The storm was long and dreadful; our Ships being so well manœuvered, rode out the gale; the English being so much more damaged, were driven ashore and many of them wrecked.
At length, when the gale abated, thirteen sail of the French and Spanish line got safe to Cadiz; the other twenty have, no doubt, gone to some other port, and will soon be heard of.
We shall repair our damages as speedily as possible, go again in pursuit of the enemy, and afford them another proof of our determination to wrest from them the empire of the seas, and to comply with his Imperial Majesty's demand of Ships, Colonies, and Commerce.
Our loss was trifling, that of the English was immense.
We have, however, to lament the absence of Admiral Villeneuve, whose ardour carried him beyond the strict bounds of prudence, and, by compelling him to board the English Admiral's Ship, prevented him from returning to his own.
After having acquired so decisive a victory, we wait with impatience the Emperor's order to sail to the enemy's shore, annihilate the rest of his navy, and thus complete the triumphant work we have so brilliantly begun.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs for Trafalgar Night
From: GUEST,Chris A
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 08:26 AM

There is a RNLI fund raising event at the Waterfront Bar On Eastbourne pier on Friday 21st October.

I have reworked three songs:
The Victory (steeleye span)
Saucy sailor (trad)
Let her go down (Peter Knight)

I chose to sing songs that looked at not just the event, but about those who had no choice to go,they who are left behind and the perils of going to sea.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs for Trafalgar Night
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 24 Oct 05 - 09:59 AM

posted on an Oz folk list today - BBC radio program, I did a quick search on Trafalgar & didn't see any reference, if I missed it, pls accept my apologies!

...................

I've just been listening to a remarkable programme on songs which would have been sung by lower deck seamen at the time of the battle of Trafalgar.

There were one or two 'orrible gaffs, which are outweighed by the fact that the programme was compiled entirely from recordings in the Topic archive. Catherine Bott, the programme's presenter, didn't say so, but I imagine this meant the holdings which Topic deposited at the National Sound Archive.

Anyway, the programme assembled Bert Lloyd, Roy Harris, Bob Harte, Cyril Poacher, Frankie Armstrong, Sam Larner, in fact the whole motley crew, with the strange and lamentable absence of Ewan MacColl. Even more important, it presented recordings which went right back to the early days of Topic microgroove - IE., those 8" LPs which Topic used to press - and included stuff I have certainly never heard before.

You will find the programme stowed away at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/mainframe.shtml?http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio3_promo.shtml and you'll need to 'list on The Early Music Show berth. NB., it's the Sun button you want, not the Sat. It lasts for one hour, and will be available for seven days from the time of transmision.

Moreover, Catherine Bott has asked people to request similar material. I didn't catch the email address, but it's at the end of the programme. So bend on your oars me hearties. Launch out the emails and fire off the broadsides.

.........................

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs for Trafalgar Night
From: Snuffy
Date: 24 Oct 05 - 07:48 PM

On Saturday I was singing Dark-eyed Sailor at the folk club, and inadvertently changed one refrain to one-eyed Sailor.

There were suggestions that this would be an ideal song for Lady Hamilton. Anyone feel up to writing it?

Subject: RE: J'aime L'oignons frits en huile
From: GUEST,Chevrette
Date: 08 Feb 06 - 02:22 PM

Does anyone have the lyrics, (in French ) for the entire song?

Tres merciments!

Abientot!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs for Trafalgar Night
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Jul 14 - 09:58 AM

Replying to a comment from a number of years ago, I am very certain that "Bonny Ship the Diamond" was not sung in the film "Master and Commander". They sang a number of other things, but not that.
1) I've seen the film 17 times. If it were in there, I'd know.
2) "Bonny Ship.." is a favorite of mine. Again, if it were in there, I'd know it.
3) It's not AT ALL in period -- it's much later than 1802-ish when the film takes place (I recall that Nelson is still alive; Aubrey isn't talking about him as if he were 'late' and Blakeney asks what sort of man is he, rather than was he).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs for Trafalgar Night
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 07 Jul 14 - 11:40 AM

I don't recall it either and I have watched the DVD quite a few times too

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs for Trafalgar Night
From: GUEST,Linda green
Date: 08 Feb 17 - 04:11 AM

If Gunner Joe was written in 1933, why does it mention "an egg for his tea" and " the sailors saved up their coupons". These references suggest rationing but this did not come in until after 1940. Any thoughts?