Men of Harlech

"Men of Harlech" or "The March of the Men of Harlech" (in Welsh: Rhyfelgyrch Gwŷr Harlech) is a song and military march which is traditionally said^[1] to describe events during the seven year long siege of Harlech Castle between 1461 and 1468.^[2] Commanded by Constable Dafydd ap Ieuan, the garrison held out in what is the longest known siege in the history of the British Isles.^[3] “Through Seven Years” is an alternate name for the song.^[4] Now some associate the song with the earlier shorter siege of Harlech Castle around 1408, which pitted the forces of Owain Glyndŵr against the future Henry V of England."^{[citation needed]}

"Men of Harlech" occupies an important place in Welsh national culture. It is the regimental march of several regiments historically associated with Wales. The Royal Welsh (UK), the Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal) and the Governor General's Horse Guards, Canadian Forces are three examples. It is also the regimental march for two Australian Army Reserve units, the 8th/7th Battalion of The Royal Victoria Regiment and Sydney University Regiment where it is played as a quick march.^[5]

The music was first published without words in 1794 as Gorhoffedd Gwŷr Harlech—March of the Men of Harlech in the second edition of The Musical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards^[1] but it is said to be a much earlier folk air.^[6] The earliest version of the tune to appear with lyrics, found thus far, comes from a Broadside printed around c1830.^[7] Since then, many different versions of the English lyrics have appeared. It first appeared with Welsh lyrics in Gems of Welsh Melody, edited by the Welsh poet, John Owen (Owain Alaw), published in London, England and Wrexham, Wales in 1860.^{[citation needed]} An edition containing Welsh and English lyrics was published in Ruthin, Wales, in 1862. ^[8]The Welsh lyrics are by the Welsh poet John Jones (Talhaiarn), and the English lyrics by W.H. Baker.^{[citation needed]} Another source attributes the Welsh words to the poet John Ceiriog Hughes, first published in 1890, and says that English words were first published in 1893.^[1]

The song gained international recognition when it was featured prominently in the 1964 film Zulu.

Use and versions of the song

Men of Harlech was first used on film during the titles of How Green Was My Valley . It is best known for its prominent role in the 1964 film Zulu, although the version of lyrics sung in it were written specially for the film. It is sung almost twice in the film (the British open fire on the charging Zulus before the start of the final couplet), in counterpoint to the Zulu war chants and the sounds of their shields. Film editor John Jympson cut the scene to the song so that on either side of cuts where the British soldiers cannot be heard, the song is in the correct relative position.

It was also featured in a 1950 Western, Apache Drums, at the conclusion of the 1945 film The Corn Is Green, starring Bette Davis, and at the conclusion of the 1995 film The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain starring Hugh Grant. An instrumental version features in Peter Weir's Picnic at Hanging Rock.

Rick Rescorla, Chief of Security for Morgan Stanley's World Trade Center office, sang a Cornish adaptation of "Men of Harlech" with a bullhorn, along with other anthems, to keep employee spirits high while they evacuated during the September 11 attacks. After helping save over 2,700 employees he returned to the towers to evacuate others until the towers collapsed on him.^[9][10]

It was used as part of the startup music for ITV station Teledu Cymru in the early 1960s and until April 2006^[11] in Fritz Spiegl's BBC Radio 4 UK Theme. The song features in an S4C television series Codi Canu, as an attempt is made to bring traditional four-part harmony choral singing back to the Welsh rugby terraces.^[12]

A Monty Python sketch, "Interesting People," had the "Rachel Toomey Bicycle Bell Choir" performing a bicycle-bell arrangement of "Men of Harlech"; all its members were dressed in rain slickers and stood astride bicycles.

The Goon Show episode, "Tiddlywinks," features Neddy Seagoon singing "The Tiddlywinks National Anthem," a parody of "Men of Harlech". ^{[13] [14]}

The tune is used for the official march of The Governor General's Horse Guards of Canada, as well as the alma mater song of Mount Union University, Georgetown University, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and the University of Oklahoma. It is a school song of Harrow School. It is also the theme song to Sydney Girls High School, Sydney, Australia, Sydney Technical High School, Sydney, Australia, Cumberland High School, Sydney, Australia, The school song for the Cadet Unit of Waverley College, Sydney, Australia, Tantasqua Regional High School in Massachusetts, Punahou School in Honolulu, King's College, Hong Kong, Albury Public School in Albury, Australia and The Mackay School in Viña del Mar, Chile. Adapted versions are sung by the fans of Wrexham Football Club (entitled 'Wrexham is the Name') and Cardiff City Football Club. There is also a well-known spoof song which uses the tune, The Woad Ode. The tune is also used for the student song of Queen's College at the University of Melbourne (Victoria, Australia). An edited version of the song is used as the school song of St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace (Brisbane, Australia).

Lyrics

There are numerous versions of "Men of Harlech", and there is no single accepted English version. The version below was published in 1873.

John Oxenford version (published 1873)

Verse 1 Men of Harlech, march to glory, Victory is hov'ring o'er ye, Bright-eyed freedom stands before ye, Hear ye not her call? At your sloth she seems to wonder; Rend the sluggish bonds asunder, Let the war-cry's deaf'ning thunder Every foe appall. Echoes loudly waking, Hill and valley shaking; 'Till the sound spreads wide around, The Saxon's courage breaking; Your foes on every side assailing, Forward press with heart unfailing, 'Till invaders learn with quailing, Cambria ne'er can yield!

Verse 2 Thou, who noble Cambria wrongest, Know that freedom's cause is strongest, Freedom's courage lasts the longest, Ending but with death! Freedom countless hosts can scatter, Freedom stoutest mail can shatter, Freedom thickest walls can batter, Fate is in her breath. See, they now are flying! Dead are heap'd with dying! Over might hath triumph'd right, Our land to foes denying; Upon their soil we never sought them, Love of conquest hither brought them, But this lesson we have taught them, "Cambria ne'er can yield!"

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Fuld, James J, The book of world-famous music: classical, popular, and folk, Dover, 5th ed 2000, p 394
2. ^ The Oxford Companion to British History - Oxford University Press (1997) page 454; Dictionary of Ancient & Medieval Warfare by Matthew Bennett (2001)
3. ^ Bert S. Hall, Weapons and Warfare in Renaissance Europe by (The Johns Hopkins University Press,2001) - page 212.
4. ^ Winnie Czulinski, Drone On!: The High History of Celtic Music (Sound And Vision, 2004) page 107.
5. ^ Army Standing Orders, Ceremonial Manual, http://www.army.gov.au/ASOD/index.htm, Chapter 27, Annex A, http://www.army.gov.au/ASOD/documents/CEREV1/27A.pdf
6. ^ Anne Shaw Faulkner, What We Hear in Music: A Course of Study in Music Appreciation and History, RCA Victor, 12th edition 1943, p 41
7. ^ http://bodley24.bodley.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/acwwweng/ballads/image.pl?ref=Harding+B+15%28182a%29&id=06497.gif&seq=1&size=0
8. ^ Owen, John. Gems of Welsh Melody. A Selection of Popular Welsh Songs, with English and Welsh Words; Specimens of Pennillion Singing, after the Manner of North Wales; and Welsh National Airs, Ancient and Modern ... For the Pianoforte or Harp, with Symphonies and Accompaniments by J. Owen, Etc. Ruthin: I. Clarke, 1862.
9. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A11284850
10. ^ Stewart, James B. 'The Heart of a Soldier', Simon & Shuster, New York, 2002.
11. ^ Radio 4 - the UK theme
12. ^ Gwŷr Harlech - The 2007 Rehearsal Room, on the Codi Canu pages of S4C's website.
13. ^ http://www.thegoonshow.net/scripts_show.asp?title=s08e24_tiddleywinks
14. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uef9gn79ZAo&feature=related

Sources

• Volkslieder, German & Other Folk Songs Homepage Men of Harlech

External links

• Free typeset sheet music — various arrangements from Cantorion.org
• Men of Harlech — various versions of lyrics
• Royal Regiment of Wales' Band singing "Men of Harlech" (2.68MiB MP3) — recording, using John Guard lyrics, in the church at Rorke's Drift, South Africa on the 120th anniversary of the Battle of Rorke's Drift.