HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"How Stands the Glass Around", also referred to as "
General Wolfe James Wolfe (2 January 1727 – 13 September 1759) was a British Army officer known for his training reforms and, as a major general, remembered chiefly for his victory in 1759 over the French at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in Quebec. ...
's Song", is an English
folk song Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
. The lyrics express the suffering of
soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
s, wherefore the song was primarily popular among people serving in the military. It deals with the helplessness experienced during war and the boldness demanded in the military, but also about reducing fear and pain by consuming
alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...
. One paper suggests that it was the favourite song of
Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...
.


Background

The oldest known reference to the song is an alternative text written for a
ballad opera The ballad opera is a genre of English stage entertainment that originated in the early 18th century, and continued to develop over the following century and later. Like the earlier '' comédie en vaudeville'' and the later ''Singspiel'', its dist ...
in the year 1729. It became notorious after Wolfe was reported to have sung it before the
Battle of the Plains of Abraham The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec (french: Bataille des Plaines d'Abraham, Première bataille de Québec), was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War (referred to as the French and Indian War to describe ...
(1759), gaining thereby the alternative title of "General Wolfe's Song".


Lyrics


Melody


Further use

* The composer
William Shield William Shield (5 March 1748 – 25 January 1829) was an English composer, violinist and violist. His music earned the respect of Haydn and Beethoven. Life and musical career Shield was born in Swalwell near Gateshead, County Durham, the son o ...
made use of the song for his opera Siege of Gibraltar (1780). * The sonata ''Siege of Quebec'' by William de Krifft begins with the melody of ''How Stands the Glass Around''. * The band '' Wilderun'' conceived a
metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typica ...
arrangement of ''How Stands the Glass Around''.


Trivia

*
Alexander Graydon Alexander Graydon Jr. (1752–1818) was an author and officer in the American Revolution. He was commissioned captain on January 5, 1776 and commanded a company of men in the Battle of Long Island and in the Battle of Harlem Heights. He was taken ...
quotes the song in his memoirs.Alexander Graydon. In: Penn People. University Archives and Records Center


Recordings

* *{{cite web, url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FXJUIyg9Fk, title=How Stands the Glass Around, first=Ben, last=Walker


Sources

18th-century songs Drinking songs Songs about the military English-language literature Seven Years' War American Revolutionary War