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When a Knight Won His Spurs

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Wikipedia article


{{Infobox musical composition

| name = When a Knight Won His Spurs

| type =

| image = Vaughan-Williams-by-Rothenstein.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Ralph Vaughan Williams by William Rothenstein

| translation =

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| composer =

| genre = Hymn

| occasion =

| text = Jan Struther

| language =

| written = 1931

| based_on =

| meter = 11.11.11.11

| melody = "Stowey" harmonised by Ralph Vaughan Williams

| composed =

| published =

| misc =

}}

'When a Knight Won His Spurs' is a children's hymn written by Jan Struther and set to a folk melody (Stowey) and harmonised by Ralph Vaughan Williams.Hymns Old & New 543 The hymn first appeared in 'Songs of Praise' in 1931.Nicola Beauman, Placzek, Joyce Anstruther [Jan Struther] (19011953), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2006 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/39183, accessed 25 Nov 2010]

The hymn is sometimes performed by folk singers on account of the folk origins of its tune, notably by Martin Simpson during Prom 5 (Folk day - part 2) in the BBC Proms on July 20, 2008.Programme notes for Folk day

An up tempo version can be found on Blyth Power's 1990 album 'Alnwick and Tyne'.

Lyrics



The lyrics in their original form are:



When a knight won his spurs, in the stories of old,

He was gentle and brave, he was gallant and bold

With a shield on his arm and a lance in his hand,

For God and for valour he rode through the land.

No charger have I, and no sword by my side,

Yet still to adventure and battle I ride,

Though back into storyland giants have fled,

And the knights are no more and the dragons are dead.

Let faith be my shield and let joy be my steed

'Gainst the dragons of anger, the ogres of greed;

And let me set free with the sword of my youth,

From the castle of darkness, the power of the truth.



Recordings



Libera (2004), 'Free', EMI Classics cat. no. 57823.

Emilia Dalby (2009) "Emilia" Signum Classics cat no. SIGCD 141

Other usage



This hymn was used as part of the poem entitled "Headmaster's Hymn" by Alan Ahlberg in his book entitled 'Please Mrs Butler'. The poem is about the hymn being sung by the school in an assembly, with constant interruption from the headmaster as a few children are misbehaving.

References



* Emilia Dalby, Sarum Voices, John Touhey (narrater) City Waites arranged Ben Lamb

Signum Records SIGCD141 2009


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