Mailbag: “Men of Harlech”

March 7, 2011

Dear Michael,

I very much enjoy listening to your program most Sunday mornings on MPR.
You noted a number of uses of the "Men of Harlech" on this morning's show--I believe from a concert in Sydney Town Hall. (One coincidence--I am from Australia and have seen and hear that organ several times).
There is one deliciously subtle use of the Harlech piece--in the film "Zulu" for the siege of Rorke's Drift during the Zulu Wars. The piece commemorates a siege of a Welsh castle. Rorke's Drift siege was much smaller scale siege but unit involved--the 24th Regiment of the 2nd Warwickshires--was primarily a Welsh regiment (they officially became the South Wales Borderers some years later) and they burst into a vocal rendition of Harlech just before breaking the siege!

Mick

 

Mick,

 

jmb

 

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