"Follow the Colours" is a song written by the English composer Edward Elgar, with words by Capt. William de Courcy Stretton. The song is for male voice solo with an optional chorus of male voices.
Contents
The song was written as the result of a commission from the Worshipful Company of Musicians in 1907. It is said that Alfred Henry Littleton (chairman of Novello’s music publishers) had to plead with Elgar to go ahead, as there was much Elgar disliked about the idea. Its original title was "Marching Song", and it was first performed by a four-part choir (S.A.T.B.) at the Empire Day concert in the Royal Albert Hall on 24 May 1908. It 1914 it was adapted by the composer for solo and optional male chorus, orchestrated and republished as "Follow the Colours". It was performed at the Royal Albert Hall on 10 October 1914.
The mood is at best cheerful optimism, at worst bombastic: but this was before the real horrors of the war which Elgar later recalled more sensitively a year later with For the Fallen.
The chorus generally reinforces the solo singer in the second and fourth lines of each verse, and joins in the refrain.
The accompaniment is for full orchestra, and is an example of brilliant but sensitive writing for the large percussion section, which consists of three timpani, side drum, triangle, bass drum and cymbals.
Lyrics
FOLLOW THE COLOURS
1.
Thousands, thousands of marching feet, Gunners and Sappers, Horse and Foot,Refrain:
Follow the Colours, follow on, Loyal the hearts that guard them well, Roll the drums, and blow the fifes, Glory for some and a chance for all,2.
England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales Children of Empire seas beyond Refrain:3.*
[What's in the wind now, what's toward ? Marching orders, we're on the way4.
Some will return, and some remain, Something’s wrong, to put it right’s RefrainVerse three and its refrain is omitted from the arrangement.*