{"id":7971,"date":"2021-01-05T13:49:58","date_gmt":"2021-01-05T13:49:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=7971"},"modified":"2021-01-05T13:53:30","modified_gmt":"2021-01-05T13:53:30","slug":"sing-sing-why-shouldnt-we-sing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/sing-sing-why-shouldnt-we-sing\/","title":{"rendered":"Sing! sing! why shouldn’t we sing?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Why shouldn’t we sing?<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1916<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>Weston and Lee<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN12910<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Florrie Forde<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Source Singers<\/strong>
Bob Hart, 1969, England : Suffolk
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Down in Aberyswtith, midst the hills and dales,\nMany Welshmen gathered there to sing the praise of Wales.\nHearts and voices blending in a feast of song;\nThough some declared, in wartime it was wrong.\nThere amongst the songsters on the mountain side,\nThe greatest Welshman in the land stood up and said with pride;\n\n\"Sing, sing, why shouldn't we sing?\nThough days are dreary, let us be cheery.\nSing, sing, let melody flow;\nAre the home fires out yet?  No, no, no!\nSing, sing, why shouldn't we sing?\nFor there's one thing we never should forget;\nOld John Bull is still alive and kicking,\nAnd we haven't pulled the blinds down yet!<\/em>\n\nSing a little chorus, never mind your voice.\nSing; if you were dumpy it would make your heart rejoice.\nSing although your pack boys, weighs just half a ton\nSing, and half the victoy is won.\nThere's a little rainbow shining in the sky;\nNow we know that brighter days are coming, by and by.\n\nSing, sing, why shouldn't we sing?\nThough days are dreary, let us be cheery.\nSing, sing, let melody flow;\nAre the home fires out yet?  No, no, no!\nSing, sing, why shouldn't we sing?\nFor there's one thing we never should forget;\nOld John Bull is still alive and kicking,\nAnd we haven't pulled the blinds down yet!\"<\/em><\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
A song sung in the Halls at the height of World War One by Florrie Forde<\/a> (1876-1940) –  written by the prodigious Weston and Lee<\/a> . It was remembered in the 1960s by at least one traditional singer in the pubs of East Suffolk: Bob Hart. Rod and Danny Stradling recorded him singing it and it was included in the Musical Traditions CD :  Bob Hart A Broadside<\/em>. The sleeve notes suggest “it was written in commemoration of a speech by David Lloyd George in 1916, when some people argued that the Eisteddfod should not take place in wartime”.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of three songs that Weston and Lee wrote about Lloyd George, the other two are Lloyd George’s Beer<\/em>, and Lloyd George of Criccieth<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
I have been unable to access the original sheet music at this time, so the lyrics are as sung by Bob Hart, and you can follow this link at the Vaughan Williams Memorial library to hear him sing it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n