i Kilkenny Education Centre Songs for Commemoration Project 24th September 2014 ii Contents Introduction 1 Goodbye Dolly Gray 4 It’s a long way to Tipperary 6 Pack up your troubles 8 The Tri-coloured Ribbon 9 The Soldier’s Song 10 The Peeler and the goat 12 A Nation Once Again 13 God Save Ireland 14 Down By the Glenside 15 Whack fol the diddle 16 The Foggy Dew 18 Johnny I hardly knew you 20 Óró sé do bheatha ’bhaile 22 1 Introduction Music was an important part of life in the early 20th century, just as it is today, but there are very great differences in the way music was heard, in the way songs were transmitted and became popular, and in the way performers made a living. There were no radio or television stations. Wireless telegraphy had been invented by Guglielmo Marconi and by 1912 was efficient enough to be able to transmit distress signals from the Titanic before it sank in the Atlantic. However, the wireless telegraph could not transmit sounds. It could only pass messages in Morse code as a series of clicks sent from a key attached to the transmitter and picked up by the receiver. Radio stations weren’t developed until the 1920s. Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, but it took ten years or so to develop it to the point where it was a commercial success. His machine had a large horn to collect sound and this was transmitted through a sound-vibrated stylus to a hollow rotating wax disk. The machine could both record and play back sound. The gramophone used a different system. The recording was cut with a stylus on a rotating disk with the track of the recording starting at the outside of the disk and spiraling inwards towards the centre. Disks for sale were made of shellac. The gramophone could play recordings, but, unlike the phonograph cylinders, gramophone disks could not be Pathephone used for home recording. Nevertheless the gramophone gradually took over the record trade, because of longer playing times and greater strength. In 1901, 10-inch disc records were introduced, followed in 1903 by 12-inch records. These could play for more than three and four minutes respectively, while contemporary cylinders could only play for about two minutes. Though phonograph and gramophone recordings were available in the years before the First World War, the equipment to play them was costly. Working class households were very unlikely to be able to afford the expense. For this reason, recordings only played a small part in the popularising of songs. 2 The music industry was dominated by sheet music publishers. Music shops carried a vast range of printed songs with piano accompaniments. The late 19th century saw a great increase in the amount of sheet music published, with a piano becoming a desirable fixture in a middle class home. The ability to play the piano was a valued social grace, especially for young ladies, and piano lessons were a necessary part of their education. The first decade of the 20th century saw the production of more popular music than had ever been written up to that time: about 25,000 songs annually. In 1893, sheet music for the song "After the Ball" sold one million copies and, over the next ten years, went on to sell a total of ten million. The popularity of a song was judged on its sheet music sales, not as nowadays on the sale of recordings. People who couldn’t read music themselves, nor afford a gramophone, came in contact with popular songs in various ways. Family and friends learned from the gifted one who could play. Singing on social occasions was common, whether at home or in public houses. Concerts were much more common than nowadays. Most large towns had some sort of theatre or hall where visiting artistes or local talent entertained people. A common form of entertainment was the smoking concert, an entertainment for men only. These were forums not only for the singing of popular songs, but often for the discussion of politics, and, as the name implies, smoking was not just tolerated but encouraged. The songs that follow are a sample of some of the songs popular at the time. Some, like It’s a Long Way to Tipperary, were popular all over the world. Some like God Save Ireland were popular only in Ireland, and some, like The Soldier’s Song were popular only among advanced nationalists in Ireland, until changed political circumstances gave them a wider audience. Some were popular in their day, but have been largely forgotten. 3 4 Goodby-*e Dolly Gray was written in the United States during the Spanish-American War of 1898. It became popular in Britain during the Boer War which lasted from 1899 to 1902. The words “'Tis the tramp of soldiers true in their uniforms so blue” were changed to “'Tis the tramp of soldiers' feet in their uniforms so neat.” American soldiers at the time wore blue uniforms, while the British Army still wore scarlet tunics. The song became popular again during the First World War. 5 Goodbye Dolly Gray I have come to say goodbye, Dolly Gray It's no use to ask me why, Dolly Gray There's a murmur in the air, you can hear it everywhere It is the time to do and dare, Dolly Gray Don't you hear the tramp of feet, Dolly Gray Sounding through the village street, Dolly Gray 'Tis the tramp of soldiers' feet in their uniforms so neat So goodbye until we meet, Dolly Gray Goodbye Dolly I must leave you, though it breaks my heart to go Something tells me I am needed at the front to fight the foe See, the soldier boys are marching and I can no longer stay Hark, I hear the bugle calling, Goodbye Dolly Gray Hear the rolling of the drums, Dolly Gray Back from war the regiment comes, Dolly Gray On your lovely face so fair, I can see a look of fear For your soldier boy's not there, Dolly Gray For the one you love so well, Dolly Gray In the midst of battle fell, Dolly Gray With his face toward the foe, as he died he murmured low "I must say goodbye and go, Dolly Gray" 6 "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" is a British music hall song written by Jack Judge. It was first sung on the music hall stage in 1913 by Florrie Forde. During the First World War, Daily Mail correspondent George Curnock saw the Irish regiment the Connaught Rangers singing this song as they marched through Boulogne on 13 August 1914 and reported it on 18 August 1914. The song was quickly picked up by other units of the British Army. In November 1914 it was recorded by the well-known Irish tenor John McCormack, which helped its worldwide popularity. 7 It's a Long Way to Tipperary Up to mighty London came An Irish lad one day, All the streets were paved with gold, So everyone was gay! Singing songs of Piccadilly, Strand, and Leicester Square, 'Til Paddy got excited and He shouted to them there: It's a long way to Tipperary, It's a long way to go. It's a long way to Tipperary To the sweetest girl I know! Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Square! It's a long long way to Tipperary, But my heart's right there. Paddy wrote a letter To his Irish Molly O', Saying, "Should you not receive it, Write and let me know! If I make mistakes in "spelling", Molly dear", said he, "Remember it's the pen, that's bad, Don't lay the blame on me". It's a long way to Tipperary, It's a long way to go. It's a long way to Tipperary To the sweetest girl I know! Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Square, It's a long long way to Tipperary, But my heart's right there. Molly wrote a neat reply To Irish Paddy O', Saying, "Mike Maloney wants To marry me, and so Leave the Strand and Piccadilly, Or you'll be to blame, For love has fairly drove me silly, Hoping you're the same!" It's a long way to Tipperary, It's a long way to go. It's a long way to Tipperary To the sweetest girl I know! Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Square, It's a long long way to Tipperary, But my heart's right there. 8 Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag” was a World War I marching song, published in 1915 in London. It was written by George Henry Powell under the pseudonym of "George Asaf", and set to music by his brother Felix Powell. It won a competition for a marching song, and became very popular. The verses don’t match the quality of the chorus. 9 THE THREE-COLOURED RIBBON By Peadar Kearney I HAD a true love if ever a girl had one, I had a true love, a brave lad was he, One fine Easter Monday with his gallant comrades He started away for to set Ireland free. All round my hat I wear a three-coloured Bibbon, All round my hat until death comes to me, And if anybody's asking me why do I wear it,— It's all for my true love 1 never more shall see. His bandolier rouud him, his bright bayonet shining; His short service rifle, a beauty to see; There was joy in his eyes tho' he left me behind him And started away for to set Ireland free.