Big Steamers
"Big Steamers" is a poem by
merchant ships
are called.
Songs
The poem has been set to music by two English composers: Edward German and Edward Elgar. The poem was also put to music by English folk singer and Kipling Society Fellow Peter Bellamy.
German's setting was for baritone voice with piano accompaniment, and published by Cramer in 1911.
Elgar set the poem to music late in
Lord Rhondda:[3]
- "The occasion seemed to call for something exceptionally simple and direct, and I have endeavoured to bring the little piece within the comprehension of very small people indeed."[4]
Verses
There are seven verses. The first six verses begin with the children's questions and suggestions, each of which has a response from the personified Big Steamers:
- 1. "Oh, where are you going to, all you Big Steamers,
- 2. "And where will you fetch if from, all you Big Steamers,
- 3. "But if anything happened to all you Big Steamers,
- 4. "Then I'll pray for fine weather for all you Big Steamers,
- 5. "Then I'll build a new lighthouse for all you Big Steamers,
- 6. "Then what can I do for all you Big Steamers,
At the last line the children are reminded of what was, at the time, a serious possibility:
- 7. ... And if anyone hinders our coming, you'll starve."
Recordings
- Choir and piano: Big Steamers and other music by Elgar, performed by Barry Collett (piano) and Tudor Choir. On CD - The Unknown Elgar - Pearl SHECD9635
- Roderick Williams, Nicholas Lester, Laurence Meikle and Duncan Rock/Guildford Philharmonic/Tom Higgins: Somm SOMMCD243[5] Higgins' arrangement of Elgar's song for four unaccompanied baritones, and his arrangement of German's song for baritone solo (Williams) and orchestra
- A version of the Peter Bellamy setting of the poem appears on the 2012 album 'Diversions Volume 3: Songs From The Shipyards' by The Unthanks
See also
- Elgar's settings of four poems from Rudyard Kipling's The Fringes of the Fleet, composed earlier during the war
Notes
References
- Fletcher, C.R.L. and Kipling, Rudyard “A School History of England” (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1911)
- Moore, Jerrold N. “Edward Elgar: a creative life” (Oxford University Press, 1984) ISBN 0-19-315447-1
External links
- Big Steamers: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Big Steamers (notes by Peter Keating)
- Lyrics of Big Steamers on the Lied and Art Song Texts Page
- Rationing and World War I Describes the introduction of food rationing in 1918 and the importance of the merchant ships