Fate's Discourtesy - Elgar, Edward

📄

Preview not generated yet

"The Fringes of the Fleet, No. 2 In 1915, ''The Daily Telegraph'' commissioned Rudyard Kipling to write articles on aspects of the defense of the nation on the sea. They were subsequently published in a booklet titled “The Fringes of the Fleet”. Each section was prefaced by a short poem. In 1916 Lord Charles Beresford asked Elgar to set of some of the verses as songs. Elgar chose to set four of them as a song-cycle, originally for four men’s voices. They were quite popular and Elgar re-wrote them for mixed voices."

⌛ Period → Romantic ◈ Genre → Partsongs ¶ Language → English

Instruments Unknown

Pages 16

CPDL # 76286

Editor David Anderson

Posted 2023-10-12

License Personal

¶Lyrics / Text

Be well assured that on our side Our challenged oceans fight, Though headlong wind and heaping tide Make us their sport to-night. By force of weather, not of war, In jeopardy we steer. Then welcome Fate’s discourtesy Whereby it shall appear How in all time of our distress, As in our triumph too, The game is more than the player of the game, And the ship is more than the crew! ''Out of the mist into the mirk'' ''The glimmering combers roll.'' ''Almost these mindless waters work'' ''As though they had a soul --'' ''Almost as though they leagued to whelm'' ''Our flag beneath their green:'' ''Then welcome Fate’s discourtesy'' ''Whereby it shall be seen, etc.'' Be well assured, though wave and wind Have mightier blows in store, That we who keep the watch assigned Must stand to it the more; And as our streaming bows rebuke Each billow’s baulked career, Sing, welcome Fate’s discourtesy Whereby it shall appear How in all time of our distress, As in our triumph too, The game is more than the player of the game, And the ship is more than the crew! ''No matter though our decks be swept'' ''And mast and timber crack --'' ''We can make good all loss except'' ''The loss of turning back.'' ''So, ’twixt these Devils and our deep'' ''Let courteous trumpets sound,'' ''To welcome Fate’s discourtesy'' ''Whereby it shall appear ''How in all time of our distress,'' ''As in our triumph too,'' ''The game is more than the player of the game,'' ''And the ship is more than the crew!'' Be well assured, though in our power Is nothing left to give But chance and place to meet the hour, And leave to strive to live. Till these dissolve our Order holds, Our Service binds us here. Then welcome Fate’s discourtesy Whereby it is made clear How in all time of our distress, As in our triumph too, The game is more than the player of the game And the ship is more than the crew! ''Verses of Kipling’s poem in italic omitted by Elgar''.