Men of Harlech
Encyclopedia
"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 to describe events during the seven year long siege of Harlech Castle
between 1461 and 1468. Commanded by Constable Dafydd ap Ieuan, the garrison held out in what is the longest known siege in the history of the British Isles. “Through Seven Years” is an alternate name for the song. 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
."
"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.
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 but it is said to be a much earlier folk air. The earliest version of the tune to appear with lyrics, found thus far, comes from a Broadside
printed around c1830. 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. An edition containing Welsh and English lyrics was published in Ruthin, Wales, in 1862. The Welsh lyrics are by the Welsh poet John Jones (Talhaiarn)
, and the English lyrics by W.H. Baker. 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.
The song gained international recognition when it was featured prominently in the 1964 film Zulu
.
. 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.
It was used as part of the startup music for ITV
station Teledu Cymru in the early 1960s and until April 2006 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.
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".
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).
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
: Rhyfelgyrch Gwŷr Harlech) is a song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
and military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
march
March (music)
A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. In mood, marches range from the moving death march in Wagner's Götterdämmerung to the brisk military marches of John...
which is traditionally said to describe events during the seven year long siege of Harlech Castle
Harlech Castle
Harlech Castle, located in Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales, is a concentric castle, constructed atop a cliff close to the Irish Sea. Architecturally, it is particularly notable for its massive gatehouse....
between 1461 and 1468. Commanded by Constable Dafydd ap Ieuan, the garrison held out in what is the longest known siege in the history of the British Isles. “Through Seven Years” is an alternate name for the song. Now some associate the song with the earlier shorter siege of Harlech Castle
Harlech Castle
Harlech Castle, located in Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales, is a concentric castle, constructed atop a cliff close to the Irish Sea. Architecturally, it is particularly notable for its massive gatehouse....
around 1408, which pitted the forces of Owain Glyndŵr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
against the future Henry V of England
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
."
"Men of Harlech" occupies an important place in Welsh national culture. It is the regimental march of several regiments historically associated with Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The Royal Welsh
Royal Welsh
The Royal Welsh was formed on St David's Day, 1 March 2006. It is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army, and the regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by Geoff Hoon and General Sir Mike Jackson as part of the restructuring of the infantry.-Formation:The...
(UK), the Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal) and the Governor General's Horse Guards, Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
are three examples. It is also the regimental march for two Australian Army Reserve
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
units, the 8th/7th Battalion of The Royal Victoria Regiment
Royal Victoria Regiment
The Royal Victoria Regiment is an Infantry Regiment of the Australian Army, consisting of two battalions, the 5th/6th Battalion and the 8th/7th Battalion.-History:...
and Sydney University Regiment
Sydney University Regiment
Sydney University Regiment is an officer training regiment of the Australian Army Reserve. It can trace its lineage back to 1900 when the University Volunteer Rifle Corps was raised as a unit of the colonial New South Wales Defence Force. Over time this unit has undergone a number of name and role...
where it is played as a quick march.
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 but it is said to be a much earlier folk air. The earliest version of the tune to appear with lyrics, found thus far, comes from a Broadside
Broadside (music)
A broadside is a single sheet of cheap paper printed on one side, often with a ballad, rhyme, news and sometimes with woodcut illustrations...
printed around c1830. 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)
John Owen (Owain Alaw)
John Owen, also known by his bardic name Owain Alaw Pencerdd , was a Welsh language poet, baritone vocalist, accompanist and musician.-Early life:...
, published in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England and Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, Wales in 1860. An edition containing Welsh and English lyrics was published in Ruthin, Wales, in 1862. The Welsh lyrics are by the Welsh poet John Jones (Talhaiarn)
John Jones (Talhaiarn)
John Jones , known by his bardic name of Talhaiarn, was a Welsh poet and architect.He was born at the Harp Inn in Llanfair Talhaearn, Denbighshire. Apprenticed to an architect, he served with ecclesiastical architects in London, and was employed by Sir Joseph Paxton to oversee the building of the...
, and the English lyrics by W.H. Baker. Another source attributes the Welsh words to the poet John Ceiriog Hughes
John Ceiriog Hughes
John Ceiriog Hughes , was a Welsh poet and well-known collector of Welsh folk tunes. Sometimes referred to as the "Robert Burns of Wales"...
, first published in 1890, and says that English words were first published in 1893.
The song gained international recognition when it was featured prominently in the 1964 film Zulu
Zulu (film)
Zulu is a 1964 historical war film depicting the Battle of Rorke's Drift between the British Army and the Zulus in January 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu War....
.
Use and versions of the song
Men of Harlech was first used on film during the titles of How Green Was My ValleyHow Green Was My Valley (film)
How Green Was My Valley is a 1941 drama film directed by John Ford. The film, based on the 1939 Richard Llewellyn novel, was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck and written by Philip Dunne. The film stars Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara, Anna Lee, Donald Crisp, and Roddy McDowall...
. It is best known for its prominent role in the 1964 film Zulu
Zulu (film)
Zulu is a 1964 historical war film depicting the Battle of Rorke's Drift between the British Army and the Zulus in January 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu War....
, 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
Zulu Kingdom
The Zulu Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Zulu Empire or, rather imprecisely, Zululand, was a monarchy in Southern Africa that extended along the coast of the Indian Ocean from the Tugela River in the south to Pongola River in the north....
before the start of the final couplet), in counterpoint to the Zulu war chants and the sounds of their shields. Film editor John Jympson
John Jympson
John Jympson was a British film editor. He edited films such as Zulu , A Hard Day's Night , Frenzy and A Fish Called Wanda .-Career:...
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
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
, Apache Drums
Apache Drums
Apache Drums is a Technicolor American Western directed by Hugo Fregonese and produced by Val Lewton. The drama features Stephen McNally, Coleen Gray, and Willard Parker. The film was based on the novel "Stand at Spanish Boot", by Harry Brown...
, at the conclusion of the 1945 film The Corn Is Green
The Corn Is Green (1945 film)
The Corn Is Green is a 1945 drama film starring Bette Davis as a schoolteacher determined to bring education to a Welsh coal mining town, despite great opposition...
, starring Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
, and at the conclusion of the 1995 film The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain is a 1995 film written by Ivor Monger and directed by Christopher Monger. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival....
starring Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant
Hugh John Mungo Grant is an English actor and film producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César. His films have earned more than $2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. Grant achieved international stardom after appearing in Richard Curtis's...
. An instrumental version features in Peter Weir
Peter Weir
Peter Lindsay Weir, AM is an Australian film director. After playing a leading role in the Australian New Wave cinema with his films such as Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Last Wave and Gallipoli, Weir directed a diverse group of American and international films—many of them major box office...
's Picnic at Hanging Rock
Picnic at Hanging Rock (film)
Picnic at Hanging Rock is a 1975 Australian feature film directed by Peter Weir and starring Anne-Louise Lambert, Helen Morse, Rachel Roberts and Vivean Gray. The film is adapted from the novel of the same name, by author Joan Lindsay....
.
Rick Rescorla
Rick Rescorla
Cyril Richard "Rick" Rescorla was a retired United States Army officer of British birth who served with distinction in Northern Rhodesia as a member of the Northern Rhodesia Police and as a soldier in the Vietnam War as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army...
, Chief of Security for Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a global financial services firm headquartered in New York City serving a diversified group of corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals. Morgan Stanley also operates in 36 countries around the world, with over 600 offices and a workforce of over 60,000....
's World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
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.
It was used as part of the startup music for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
station Teledu Cymru in the early 1960s and until April 2006 in Fritz Spiegl
Fritz Spiegl
Fritz Spiegl was born at Zurndorf, Austria, the son of an agricultural merchant and his Jewish wife. He became a musician, journalist, broadcaster, humorist and collector who lived and worked in England from 1939....
's BBC Radio 4 UK Theme
Radio 4 UK Theme
The BBC Radio 4 UK Theme is an orchestral arrangement of traditional British airs composed by Fritz Spiegl which was played every morning on BBC Radio 4 between 23 November 1978 and 23 April 2006....
. 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.
A Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
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".
The tune is used for the official march of The Governor General's Horse Guards
The Governor General's Horse Guards
The Governor General's Horse Guards is an armoured reconnaissance regiment in the Primary Reserve of the Canadian Army, part of Land Force Central Area's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. Based in Toronto, it is the most senior reserve regiment in Canada, and the only Household Cavalry regiment of...
of Canada, as well as the alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
song of Mount Union University, Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
University of Wisconsin–Platteville is a public university located in Platteville, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System and offers both bachelor and master degrees...
, and the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
. It is a school song of Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
. It is also the theme song to Sydney Girls High School
Sydney Girls High School
Sydney Girls High School is an academically selective, Public high school for girls, located at Moore Park, in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, Sydney, Australia, Sydney Technical High School
Sydney Technical High School
Sydney Technical High School is an academically selective, state-funded high school for boys in Bexley, a southern suburb of Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1911 as part of Sydney Technical College, the school was one of the six original New South Wales selective schools...
, Sydney, Australia, Cumberland High School, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia, The school song for the Cadet Unit of Waverley College
Waverley College
Waverley College is a Roman Catholic, secondary, day school for boys, located at Waverley, in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, Sydney, Australia, Tantasqua Regional High School
Tantasqua Regional High School
Tantasqua Regional High School is a public high school in south-central Massachusetts, that serves the towns of Brimfield, Brookfield, Holland, Sturbridge and Wales.-Overview:...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Punahou School
Punahou School
Punahou School, once known as Oahu College, is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school located in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu in the U.S. State of Hawaii...
in Honolulu, King's College, Hong Kong
King's College, Hong Kong
King’s College is a government secondary school in the western district of Hong Kong Island, and was founded in 1926. It is a boys-only college from Form one to five and admits female students in its matriculate classes...
, Albury Public School in Albury, Australia and The Mackay School
The Mackay School
The Mackay School, a Chilean school located in Reñaca, Region of Valparaiso, Chile. Of Scottish origin; it was founded in 1857 by Scottish immigrants. It is considered one of the best academic institutions in the fifth region...
in Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar , is a city and commune on central Chile's Pacific coast. Its long stretches of white sandy beaches are a major attraction for national and international tourists. The city is Chile's main tourist attraction. Known as "La Ciudad Jardín" , Viña del Mar is a Chilean Municipality located...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. Adapted versions are sung by the fans of Wrexham Football Club (entitled 'Wrexham is the Name') and Cardiff City Football Club
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
. There is also a well-known spoof song which uses the tune, The Woad Ode
The Woad Ode
The Woad Ode is a humorous song, set to the tune of Men of Harlech. It recounts the ancient British tradition of fighting naked in woad dye, but is not intended as a history lesson. It first became popular in 1920s as a song in the British Boy Scouts and first appeared in The Hackney Scout Song...
. 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!" |
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.