ST HOUR - Winston Churchill

Harrow Songs:The Churchill VersesSTET FORTUNA DOMUSNor less we praise in sterner daysThe leader of our nation,And CHURCHILL'S nameshall win acclaimFrom each new generation.While in this fight to guard the RightOur country you defend, SirHere grim and gay we mean to stay,And stick it to the end, SirDONORUM DEIChurchill with flourishof sabre and brush and penRode gallantly forthon his way to be leader of men;The last of seven who lived on the HillWaiting the call to serve the nation,And nursed by the dreams tlmt stillTheir ancient end fulfill—Of God's good giftsthe faithful dispensation.Argentia, 10 August 1941: "I chose the hymns myself ... It was a great hour to live."THE SILVER ARROWThe flame that wokewhen Churchill spokeBlazes forth in the darkness still;We do not forget: they are needed yet—Loyal spirit and strength and skill.But today will be heardno wavering wordNo cloud of care be seen:Each heart rejoice, ring out each voiceIn gladness, "God save the Queen!"FORTY YEARS ONSixty years on, though in timegrowing older,Younger at heart you return to the Hill:You who in days of defeat ever bolderLed us to Victory, serve Britain still.Still there are basesto guard or beleaguer,Still must the battle for Freedom be won:Long may you fight, Sir,who fearless and eagerLook back to-day more than sixty years on.Blazoned in honour! For each generationYou kindled courage to stand and to stay;You lead our fathers to fight for the nation,Called "Follow up"and yourself showed the wayWe who were bornin the calm after thunderCherish our freedom to think and to do;If in our turn we forgetfully wonder,Yet we'll remember we owe it to you.He ended his speech by askingthe School to sing two more of hisfavorites, "Giants" and "Boy." Afterthe request for "Giants," LeoAmery, a Harrow old boy and amember of Churchill's Party, turnedto someone and said, "Loathsomesong. I was always put on to singit." Throughout most of the songs,and sometimes while singing,Churchill wept copiously. Hereturned for "Songs" almost everyyear until his health would nolonger allow it.In 1941, Roosevelt and Churchillmet at the Atlantic Conferenceaboard H.M.S. Prince of Wales. Later,Churchill wrote about a church serviceheld on her quarterdeck: "Ichose the hymns myself. 'For Thosein Peril on the Sea' and 'OnwardChristian Soldiers.' We ended with'O God, Our Help in Ages Past'which Macaulay reminds us theIronsides had chanted as they boreJohn Hampden's body to the grave.Every word seemed to stir the heart.It was a great hour to live. Nearlyhalf of those who sang were soon todie." The Prince of Wales was sunkby the Japanese shortly after Japanentered the war.During Churchill's visit toMoscow in 1944, he and Stalin spentan evening at the Bolshoi Theater.There was a composite program,including ballet and opera. The partChurchill liked the most was thesinging and dancing of the RedArmy Choir.As a powerful and persuasiveFINEST HOUR 96/30speaker, Churchill often used musicto make a point or give an example.One of my favorite examples of thisoccurred in a speech after songs atHarrow in 1945:"When I entered the room, onething struck me, and that wasWhere is the kettle-drum? whichhas a most keen fascination for me,and I have always felt it. I am not atall musically gifted; I cannot understandany music that hasn't got atune. But I have always been verymuch attracted by the kettle-drum.Again and again I thought if I couldonly get hold of those sticks! I musthave a go one of these fine evenings!However, there must have beensome protesting interest which inspiredthe authorities in those days,and I was never allowed to have myopportunity."So I gave up that ambition andtransferred my aspirations to anotherpart of the orchestra. I thought if Icannot have the kettle-drumI might try to be the conductor,there is a great deal in the gesturesat any rate: they are those whichoccur most readily to a politician. Atany rate it always seemed to me thatthat was the part in the orchestra Icould play best, always exceptingthe kettle-drum.