Can we not continue our great St Georges Day traditions of:
moaning that no one celebrates St Georges Day
blaming some unidentified "them" for stopping us celebrating our culture and history
Not being quite quite able define what Englishness is
Wearing a nylon replica umbro En-ger-land shirt
bitching about managers/colleagues who don't know it's St Georges Day/Ask "why are you wearing a red rose?"/won't give us a day off/celebrate St Patrick's day but not St Georges.
Or perhaps we could move on and read some Hardy or Shakespeare or Orwell, learn about the Levellers, the Diggers and the Chartists, drink some English Ale and toast our contributions to the world such as parliamentary democracy, the abolition of slavery, the English language, Trial by Jury, the defeat of Nazism, fair play, route master buses, More great pop groups than you could list here, Mods, rockers, skins, punks, two tone and Cricket
Me & Four other guys have the Day Off. We have printed off a Pub Guide of Kingston-On-Thames with 52 Pubs, we will be frequenting as many of them that are still there as possible. Red Roses have been ordered from Local Florist as currently out of season over here apparently. Bit of a tradition this one that we will continue until unable to do so. Anyone in the Kingston area that day wishing to join us is welcome.
Did we invent nurses? Don't mention Florence Nightingale (bloody St Thomas slapper)
But for another list, as once sung by another English Treasure MAx Wall I give you:
There are jewels in the crown of England's glory
And every jewel shines a thousand ways
Frankie Howerd, Nol Coward and garden gnomes
Frankie Vaughan, Kenneth Horne, Sherlock Holmes
Monty, Biggles and Old King Cole
In the pink or on the dole
Oliver Twist and Long John Silver
Captain Cook and Nelly Dean
Enid Blyton, Gilbert Harding
Malcolm Sargeant, Graham Greene (Graham Greene)
All the jewels in the crown of England's glory
Too numerous to mention, but a few
And every one could tell a different story
And show old England's glory something new
Nice bit of kipper and Jack the Ripper and Upton Park
Gracie, Cilla, Maxy Miller, Petula Clark
Winkles, Woodbines, Walnut Whips
Vera Lynn and Stafford Cripps
Lady Chatterley, Muffin the Mule
Winston Churchill, Robin Hood
Beatrix Potter, Baden-Powell
Beecham's powders, Yorkshire pud (Yorkshire pud)
With Billy Bunter, Jane Austen
Reg Hampton, George Formby
Billy Fury, Little Titch
Uncle Mac, Mr. Pastry and all
Uncle mac, Mr. Patry and all
allright england?
gwan england
oh england
All the jewels in the crown of England's glory
Too numerous to mention, but a few
And every one could tell a different story
And show old England's glory something new
Somerset Maugham, Top Of The Form with the Boys' Brigade
Mortimer Wheeler, Christine Keeler and the Board of Trade
Henry Cooper, wakey wakey, England's labour
Standard Vanguard, spotted dick, England's workers
Not sure about Upton Park and some of the refrences are too old even for me. Anyone know who reg hampton or mortimer wheeler were?
We are the Village Green Preservation Society.
God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety.
We are the Desperate Dan Apreciation Society.
God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties.
Preserving the old ways from being abused.
Protecting the new ways, for me and for you.
What more can we do?
We are the Draught Beer Preservation Society.
God save Mrs. Mopp and good old Mother Riley.
We are the Custard Pie Appreciation Consortium.
God save the George Cross, and all those who were awarded them.
We are the Sherlock Holmes English-speaking Vernacular.
God save Fu Manchu, Moriarty and Dracula.
We are the Office Block Persecution Affinity.
God save little shops, china cups, and virginity.
We are the Skyscraper Condemnation Affiliates.
God save Tudor houses, antique tables, and billiards.
Preserving the old ways from being abused.
Protecting the new ways, for me and for you.
What more can we do?
Or perhaps we could move on and read some Hardy or Shakespeare or Orwell, learn about the Levellers, the Diggers and the Chartists, drink some English Ale and toast our contributions to the world such as parliamentary democracy, the abolition of slavery, the English language, Trial by Jury, the defeat of Nazism, fair play, route master buses, More great pop groups than you could list here, Mods, rockers, skins, punks, two tone and Cricket
Did you have 'Land of Hope and Glory playing quietly in the background as you typed that?
No, I listened to the two songs above. Much better and more evocotive, for me at least. I quite dislike how Englishness is seen to be expressed by LOHAG and all that last night of proms sillyness. We are more than that.
If you want a hymn then Jeruselem is much better as a tune and for the lyrics IMHO.
[cite]Posted By: Henry Irving[/cite]No, I listened to the two songs above. Much better and more evocotive, for me at least. I quite dislike how Englishness is seen to be expressed by LOHAG and all that last night of proms sillyness. We are more than that.
If you want a hymn then Jeruselem is much better as a tune and for the lyrics IMHO.
More a call for a return to pre-industrial (dark satanic mills) England as touched by god (and did those feet..) than a protest song. Sung by the WI as well.
The text of the poem was inspired by an apocryphal story which narrated that Jesus, while still a young man, accompanied Joseph of Arimathea to the English town of Glastonbury. Blake's biographers note that he believed in the legend; however, the poem's theme or subtext is subject to much sharper debate, probably accounting for its popularity across the philosophical spectrum.
As a Romanticist paean the poem has come under criticism. Consequently some see it as unsuitable as an English national anthem, and its reference to a foreign city as puzzling to other nations. It is unlikely that Blake intended such a literal interpretation, however, or that most who sing and love the song believe in such a literal reading of the lyrics; legends contain important truths to many people.
The Christian Church in general and the English Church in particular have long used Jerusalem as a metaphor for heaven. It is the city in the sky, as it were, where love is universal and all is well. The hymn is sung on Jerusalem Sunday -- a day set aside to celebrate the holy city -- in Anglican Churches throughout the world and even in some Episcopal Churches in the U.S. Also sung is the hymn 'Jerusalem the Golden with milk and honey blessed... I know not oh I know not what joys await me there....' etc.
The term "Satanic Mills", which entered the English language from this poem, is most often interpreted as referring to the early industrial revolution and its destruction of nature. [1] Indeed, the term is often used with this connotation up to the present.
Other explanations offered for "Satanic Mills" were the Established Church, the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, or Neolithic remains such as Stonehenge which Blake considered Satanic. [2]
One particular line from the poem, "Bring me my chariot of fire", which inspired the title of the film Chariots of Fire, most probably draws on the story of 2 Kings 2:11, where the Old Testament prophet Elijah is taken directly to heaven: "And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." A church congregation sings "Jerusalem" at close of the film.
Whatever Blake's exact intention, it seems unlikely that the "mental fight" referred to was a concrete war waged by an army against an external enemy, or that the various archaic weapons enumerated were intended to represent modern arms. (Though the poem was written during the Napoleonic Wars, Blake was an outspoken supporter of the French Revolution, whose successor Napoleon claimed to be.)
[edit] Popularisation
Nevertheless, the poem -- little known during the century which followed its writing -- was included in a patriotic anthology of verse published in 1916, a time when morale had begun to decline due to the high number of casualties in the First World War and the perception that there was no end in sight.
Under these circumstances, it seemed to many to define what Britain was fighting for. Therefore, Parry was asked to put it to music at a Fight for Right campaign meeting in London's Royal Albert Hall. The most famous version was orchestrated by Sir Edward Elgar in 1922 for the Leeds Festival. Upon hearing the orchestral version for the first time, King George V said that he preferred that "Jerusalem" replace "God Save the King" as the National Anthem.
This is considered to be England's most popular patriotic song, often being used as an alternative national anthem. It was used as a campaign slogan by the Labour Party in the 1945 general election. (Clement Attlee said they would build "a new Jerusalem"). The song is also the unofficial anthem of the British Women's Institute, and historically was used by the National Union of Suffrage Societies.
Comments
moaning that no one celebrates St Georges Day
blaming some unidentified "them" for stopping us celebrating our culture and history
Not being quite quite able define what Englishness is
Wearing a nylon replica umbro En-ger-land shirt
bitching about managers/colleagues who don't know it's St Georges Day/Ask "why are you wearing a red rose?"/won't give us a day off/celebrate St Patrick's day but not St Georges.
Or perhaps we could move on and read some Hardy or Shakespeare or Orwell, learn about the Levellers, the Diggers and the Chartists, drink some English Ale and toast our contributions to the world such as parliamentary democracy, the abolition of slavery, the English language, Trial by Jury, the defeat of Nazism, fair play, route master buses, More great pop groups than you could list here, Mods, rockers, skins, punks, two tone and Cricket
When is it ? :-)
I'm flying back from a stag do that day, and will be unlikely to raise a smile, let alone a toast to this fine nation.
"There's only one way of life - and that's your own...." ;-)
But for another list, as once sung by another English Treasure MAx Wall I give you:
There are jewels in the crown of England's glory
And every jewel shines a thousand ways
Frankie Howerd, Nol Coward and garden gnomes
Frankie Vaughan, Kenneth Horne, Sherlock Holmes
Monty, Biggles and Old King Cole
In the pink or on the dole
Oliver Twist and Long John Silver
Captain Cook and Nelly Dean
Enid Blyton, Gilbert Harding
Malcolm Sargeant, Graham Greene (Graham Greene)
All the jewels in the crown of England's glory
Too numerous to mention, but a few
And every one could tell a different story
And show old England's glory something new
Nice bit of kipper and Jack the Ripper and Upton Park
Gracie, Cilla, Maxy Miller, Petula Clark
Winkles, Woodbines, Walnut Whips
Vera Lynn and Stafford Cripps
Lady Chatterley, Muffin the Mule
Winston Churchill, Robin Hood
Beatrix Potter, Baden-Powell
Beecham's powders, Yorkshire pud (Yorkshire pud)
With Billy Bunter, Jane Austen
Reg Hampton, George Formby
Billy Fury, Little Titch
Uncle Mac, Mr. Pastry and all
Uncle mac, Mr. Patry and all
allright england?
gwan england
oh england
All the jewels in the crown of England's glory
Too numerous to mention, but a few
And every one could tell a different story
And show old England's glory something new
Somerset Maugham, Top Of The Form with the Boys' Brigade
Mortimer Wheeler, Christine Keeler and the Board of Trade
Henry Cooper, wakey wakey, England's labour
Standard Vanguard, spotted dick, England's workers
Not sure about Upton Park and some of the refrences are too old even for me. Anyone know who reg hampton or mortimer wheeler were?
We are the Village Green Preservation Society.
God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety.
We are the Desperate Dan Apreciation Society.
God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties.
Preserving the old ways from being abused.
Protecting the new ways, for me and for you.
What more can we do?
We are the Draught Beer Preservation Society.
God save Mrs. Mopp and good old Mother Riley.
We are the Custard Pie Appreciation Consortium.
God save the George Cross, and all those who were awarded them.
We are the Sherlock Holmes English-speaking Vernacular.
God save Fu Manchu, Moriarty and Dracula.
We are the Office Block Persecution Affinity.
God save little shops, china cups, and virginity.
We are the Skyscraper Condemnation Affiliates.
God save Tudor houses, antique tables, and billiards.
Preserving the old ways from being abused.
Protecting the new ways, for me and for you.
What more can we do?
God save the village green!
Did you have 'Land of Hope and Glory playing quietly in the background as you typed that?
If you want a hymn then Jeruselem is much better as a tune and for the lyrics IMHO.
Jeruselem is a good protest song nothing more.
More a call for a return to pre-industrial (dark satanic mills) England as touched by god (and did those feet..) than a protest song. Sung by the WI as well.
I will be dj'ing for St Georges day and celebrating with those who are aware it is out patron saints day.
I've gone past moaning at people for not knowing about the day
As a Romanticist paean the poem has come under criticism. Consequently some see it as unsuitable as an English national anthem, and its reference to a foreign city as puzzling to other nations. It is unlikely that Blake intended such a literal interpretation, however, or that most who sing and love the song believe in such a literal reading of the lyrics; legends contain important truths to many people.
The Christian Church in general and the English Church in particular have long used Jerusalem as a metaphor for heaven. It is the city in the sky, as it were, where love is universal and all is well. The hymn is sung on Jerusalem Sunday -- a day set aside to celebrate the holy city -- in Anglican Churches throughout the world and even in some Episcopal Churches in the U.S. Also sung is the hymn 'Jerusalem the Golden with milk and honey blessed... I know not oh I know not what joys await me there....' etc.
The term "Satanic Mills", which entered the English language from this poem, is most often interpreted as referring to the early industrial revolution and its destruction of nature. [1] Indeed, the term is often used with this connotation up to the present.
Other explanations offered for "Satanic Mills" were the Established Church, the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, or Neolithic remains such as Stonehenge which Blake considered Satanic. [2]
One particular line from the poem, "Bring me my chariot of fire", which inspired the title of the film Chariots of Fire, most probably draws on the story of 2 Kings 2:11, where the Old Testament prophet Elijah is taken directly to heaven: "And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." A church congregation sings "Jerusalem" at close of the film.
Whatever Blake's exact intention, it seems unlikely that the "mental fight" referred to was a concrete war waged by an army against an external enemy, or that the various archaic weapons enumerated were intended to represent modern arms. (Though the poem was written during the Napoleonic Wars, Blake was an outspoken supporter of the French Revolution, whose successor Napoleon claimed to be.)
[edit] Popularisation
Nevertheless, the poem -- little known during the century which followed its writing -- was included in a patriotic anthology of verse published in 1916, a time when morale had begun to decline due to the high number of casualties in the First World War and the perception that there was no end in sight.
Under these circumstances, it seemed to many to define what Britain was fighting for. Therefore, Parry was asked to put it to music at a Fight for Right campaign meeting in London's Royal Albert Hall. The most famous version was orchestrated by Sir Edward Elgar in 1922 for the Leeds Festival. Upon hearing the orchestral version for the first time, King George V said that he preferred that "Jerusalem" replace "God Save the King" as the National Anthem.
This is considered to be England's most popular patriotic song, often being used as an alternative national anthem. It was used as a campaign slogan by the Labour Party in the 1945 general election. (Clement Attlee said they would build "a new Jerusalem"). The song is also the unofficial anthem of the British Women's Institute, and historically was used by the National Union of Suffrage Societies.
Stolen from Wikipedia of course :-)