Comments on: Martial Hymns http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/11/martial-hymns/ Truth Will Prevail Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:03:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Dorsai Fan http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/11/martial-hymns/#comment-264531 Dorsai Fan Tue, 27 May 2008 05:41:20 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4254#comment-264531 \"Soldier Ask Not\" is indeed singable. I\'ve sung it. I\'m not clear who wrote the music, but it was probably Gordon Dickson or George Hunt, who certainly did an arrangement of it. This would have been sometime in the mid to late 70s, in the first flush of the Dorsai Irregulars. \”Soldier Ask Not\” is indeed singable. I\’ve sung it. I\’m not clear who wrote the music, but it was probably Gordon Dickson or George Hunt, who certainly did an arrangement of it. This would have been sometime in the mid to late 70s, in the first flush of the Dorsai Irregulars.

]]> By: NoCoolName_Tom http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/11/martial-hymns/#comment-243403 NoCoolName_Tom Sun, 02 Dec 2007 23:28:28 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4254#comment-243403 Occasionally I've run across versions of "Prayer of Thanksgiving" with the line "We all do extol thee thou leader in battle.." I've always liked it; I think it fits better with the rest of the verse: "and pray that thou still our defender wilt be." Occasionally I’ve run across versions of “Prayer of Thanksgiving” with the line “We all do extol thee thou leader in battle..” I’ve always liked it; I think it fits better with the rest of the verse: “and pray that thou still our defender wilt be.”

]]> By: Velikye Kniaz http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/11/martial-hymns/#comment-243194 Velikye Kniaz Wed, 28 Nov 2007 04:29:23 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4254#comment-243194 East Coast, RE your last paragraph in #14; I believe that the original lyric was, "Sound the war cry, 'Watch and pray'... East Coast, RE your last paragraph in #14; I believe that the original lyric was, “Sound the war cry, ‘Watch and pray’…

]]> By: Velikye Kniaz http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/11/martial-hymns/#comment-243193 Velikye Kniaz Wed, 28 Nov 2007 04:23:36 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4254#comment-243193 Methinks Brother Fife was a 'jarhead' (Marine) in a former life... Good on him! Methinks Brother Fife was a ‘jarhead’ (Marine) in a former life…
Good on him!

]]> By: Adam Greenwood http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/11/martial-hymns/#comment-243159 Adam Greenwood Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:35:23 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4254#comment-243159 Those are all good songs, Eric B. There's a sense in which the Civil War is our national epic, so I sing a lot of those too. Those are all good songs, Eric B. There’s a sense in which the Civil War is our national epic, so I sing a lot of those too.

]]> By: Eric Boysen http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/11/martial-hymns/#comment-243149 Eric Boysen Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:14:35 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4254#comment-243149 If we venture out of our own hymnody, one of my favorites is “Jerusalem.” The notion of our Savior as a young man sailing across the sea with his tin merchant uncle and walking the hills of Britain is not part of our tradition, but the image is compelling. William Blake obviously found incongruity in the contrast between the evils of our modern times represented by the “dark, Satanic mills” of the industrial revolution and the ancient tale of the feet of the Shepard walking in the beauty of the countryside. The call to arms is to purge the nation of its vain glories (quite a lot of those in a world-wide empire, I expect) and build the city of God, the new Jerusalem, in his home islands. Too bad he didn’t know about Jackson County. I have loved this since the first time I heard it in _Chariot’s of Fire_, which, of course, took its title from the words of the hymn. I sing it just about every day, along with “The Star Spangled Banner,” “America the Beautiful” (which also honors martial virtues in its third verse), “Rally ‘Round the Flag,” “Tramp, Tramp, Tramp the Boys are Marching” and many of the Hymns of Zion. My children (when they reach a certain age) are often embarrassed by me, and I may not have a lot of friends, but the music is so compelling! For the uninitiated: Jerusalem Words (as I remember them) by William Blake And did those feet in ancient time Walk upon England’s mountains green And was the Holy Lamb of God On England’s pleasant pastures seen And did that countenance divine Shine upon these golden hills And was Jerusalem builded here Among these dark, Satanic mills Bring me my bow of burning gold. Bring me my arrows of desire. Bring me my spear. Oh clouds unfold. Bring me my Chariot of Fire I will not cease from mental fight, Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand ‘Til we have built Jerusalem On England’s green and pleasant land If we venture out of our own hymnody, one of my favorites is “Jerusalem.” The notion of our Savior as a young man sailing across the sea with his tin merchant uncle and walking the hills of Britain is not part of our tradition, but the image is compelling. William Blake obviously found incongruity in the contrast between the evils of our modern times represented by the “dark, Satanic mills” of the industrial revolution and the ancient tale of the feet of the Shepard walking in the beauty of the countryside. The call to arms is to purge the nation of its vain glories (quite a lot of those in a world-wide empire, I expect) and build the city of God, the new Jerusalem, in his home islands. Too bad he didn’t know about Jackson County.

I have loved this since the first time I heard it in _Chariot’s of Fire_, which, of course, took its title from the words of the hymn. I sing it just about every day, along with “The Star Spangled Banner,” “America the Beautiful” (which also honors martial virtues in its third verse), “Rally ‘Round the Flag,” “Tramp, Tramp, Tramp the Boys are Marching” and many of the Hymns of Zion. My children (when they reach a certain age) are often embarrassed by me, and I may not have a lot of friends, but the music is so compelling!

For the uninitiated:

Jerusalem
Words (as I remember them) by William Blake

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England’s mountains green
And was the Holy Lamb of God
On England’s pleasant pastures seen
And did that countenance divine
Shine upon these golden hills
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark, Satanic mills

Bring me my bow of burning gold.
Bring me my arrows of desire.
Bring me my spear. Oh clouds unfold.
Bring me my Chariot of Fire
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
‘Til we have built Jerusalem
On England’s green and pleasant land

]]> By: Mark B. http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/11/martial-hymns/#comment-243106 Mark B. Mon, 26 Nov 2007 20:43:58 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4254#comment-243106 That "worker's seal" is sort of like the Good Housekeeping Seal--it shows that you are a real worker and not a person who wastes hours each day blogging. I find that "Put your Shoulder to the Wheel" is easier to stomach if that one part is changed to "Do not be discouraged, God wears overalls" That “worker’s seal” is sort of like the Good Housekeeping Seal–it shows that you are a real worker and not a person who wastes hours each day blogging.

I find that “Put your Shoulder to the Wheel” is easier to stomach if that one part is changed to

“Do not be discouraged, God wears overalls”

]]> By: WillF http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/11/martial-hymns/#comment-243104 WillF Mon, 26 Nov 2007 20:12:30 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4254#comment-243104 In the Dominican Republic I seem to remember that the Battle Hymn of the Republic was quite a popular hymn. The fact that the country has Republic in its name probably contributed. And now a hymn that sounds militant but isn't: Secret Prayer. This is a really catchy one, but it always make me laugh when I think about the fact that a song about something quiet is so loud. In the Dominican Republic I seem to remember that the Battle Hymn of the Republic was quite a popular hymn. The fact that the country has Republic in its name probably contributed.

And now a hymn that sounds militant but isn’t: Secret Prayer. This is a really catchy one, but it always make me laugh when I think about the fact that a song about something quiet is so loud.

]]> By: TMD http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/11/martial-hymns/#comment-243100 TMD Mon, 26 Nov 2007 19:02:06 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4254#comment-243100 Oh Say, What is Truth also has a militant aesthetic, if also tinged with a (violent) revolutionary one. See the third verse: The sceptre may fall from the despot's grasp When with winds of stern justice he copes, But the pillar of truth will endure to the last, And its firm-rooted bulwarks outstand the rude blast, And the wreck of the fell tyrant's hopes. Oh Say, What is Truth also has a militant aesthetic, if also tinged with a (violent) revolutionary one. See the third verse:

The sceptre may fall from the despot’s grasp
When with winds of stern justice he copes,
But the pillar of truth will endure to the last,
And its firm-rooted bulwarks outstand the rude blast,
And the wreck of the fell tyrant’s hopes.

]]> By: Kaimi Wenger http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/11/martial-hymns/#comment-243098 Kaimi Wenger Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:55:17 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=4254#comment-243098 Adam, 10,000 Legions is in the current book. Music available here: http://lds.org/churchmusic/detailmusicPlayer/index.html?searchlanguage=1&searchcollection=1&searchseqstart=253&searchsubseqstart=%20&searchseqend=253&searchsubseqend=ZZZ . (The music is nice, but the tune isn't all that martial, and in my opinion really isn't a great match for the words.) According to Karen Davidson's book, the composer suggested to the lyricist that she write a hymn about missionary work. The "legions marching" theme is a comparison to missionaries. Adam,

10,000 Legions is in the current book. Music available here: http://lds.org/churchmusic/detailmusicPlayer/index.html?searchlanguage=1&searchcollection=1&searchseqstart=253&searchsubseqstart=%20&searchseqend=253&searchsubseqend=ZZZ .
(The music is nice, but the tune isn’t all that martial, and in my opinion really isn’t a great match for the words.)

According to Karen Davidson’s book, the composer suggested to the lyricist that she write a hymn about missionary work. The “legions marching” theme is a comparison to missionaries.

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