Ian Colquhoun (with band accompaniment) sings "Soldiers of the Queen" on Berliner's Gramophone disc 108, recorded in late 1899 and issued in early 1900.
At the end, the singer gives "three cheers" to support the troops or "boys" fighting at the front in the South Africa area.
The composer is Leslie Stuart (1864-1928).
This song is featured in the outstanding film titled Breaker Morant.
Britons once did loyally declaim
About the way we ruled the waves.
Every Briton's song was just the same
When singing of her soldier-braves.
All the world had heard it--
Wondered why we sang, and
Some have sought the reason why.
But we're forgetting it,
And we're letting it
Fade away and gradually die.
So when we say that England's master
Remember who has made her so
It's the soldiers of the Queen, my lads
Who've been, my lads, who've seen, my lads
In the fight for England's glory lads
When we've had to show them what we mean:
And when we say we've always won
And when they ask us how it's done
We'll proudly point to every one
Of England's soldiers of the Queen.
"Soldiers of the Queen" rare 1899 Emile Berliner Gramophone disc 108 Ian Colquhoun & Boer Wars
