The Soldier's Lament: How Stands the Glass Around?

When you think of soldier's songs from the 18th Century, what comes to mind? Some of the most popular examples are military marches, things like 'The British Grenadiers,' 'Lillibullero,' or 'Brighton Camp'/'The Girl I Left Behind Me' may be the tunes which most immediately come to mind. Or perhaps, for the saucier of mind, you may go to the rougher tones of 'Old Maui' or 'Roll the Wood Pile Down.'

But while these are all good examples in their own way, and great fun to listen to, these songs all project a very particular view of the world and the condition of the soldiery during this period. Most of these songs are upbeat in their lyrics and style- some of them are even jolly!

Of course, the reality of being a soldier has never been so overwhelmingly positive as these tunes of 'honour and glory' would have us believe. This is especially true in the 18th Century, when the usual dangers of this occupation were consistently reinforced by threat of poverty, hunger, and disease. Many of the soldier's songs reflected this reality, and one of the most impactful of these, in my opinion, is the song "How Stands the Glass Around?" alternatively known as "Why, Soldiers, Why?" and "General Wolfe's Song."

In this video, I should like to share this sorrowfully beautiful tune with you.

Links, Sources:

"Songs and Music of the Redcoats" by The Druids

The "Affair of Honour" rendition:

You can find the varying lyrics of this song through various periods at the Bodleian Library's website, here:

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