Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

No, I expect I'd have cottoned on to that myself if I'd been introduced to it a bit later. However, I think it was already in use in my first year and I just merrily took up the nice lilting tune without paying too much attention to the words, except to think it was slightly exotic.

My mother used to think the tune sounded like the Eton Boat Song...."Row, row together....."

I am sorry I spelt evangelists wrong. It was, indeed a slip of the finger, if you'll pardon the expression. "Nurse!" Now what I meant by evangelists was the American TV screamers who ALWAYS ask for lots of money and most of them are charlatans. Some go around in Rolls Royce cars and don't quite seem to live by the Christian ethic. Also occasionally I get people at my front door who describe themselves as evangelists and I simply can't bear them. Their clothes are appalling and they do show remarkable lack of taste in that department. It really does make me ill to have to look at people in greasy black macintoshes talking rubbish about the end of the world. Perhaps I have been using the word evangelist wrongly. I thought the people Neill The Notorious who is itching to punch me (!) was talking about me "insulting are correctly termed "missionaries" and anyone in that position (sorry) is OK by me - no insult to them at all. There used to be amusing post cards with missionaries sitting forlornly in the "native's" cooking pot. But I digress. I am sure Neill thoroughly enjoyed getting so worked up about what I said and won't I just have to turn the other cheek when he hits me!!!

I DID mean, within my presence !

TBA -- as has been suggested, has chastised me, for being too sensitive ---- I can't win !

In her own inimitable humour, she suggested that at the next Old Blues Day, Huntertitus versus NTN suitably staged -- might draw more crowds than the Band !!! (Heresy !)

Of course I would offer "The other cheek" -- but you only get two Shots !

I have now been chastised from all sides-- so I will shut up !

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:I DID mean, within my presence !

TBA -- as has been suggested, has chastised me, for being too sensitive ---- I can't win !

In her own inimitable humour, she suggested that at the next Old Blues Day, Huntertitus versus NTN suitably staged -- might draw more crowds than the Band !!! (Heresy !)

Of course I would offer "The other cheek" -- but you only get two Shots !

I have now been chastised from all sides-- so I will shut up !

It's just impossible to stay cross with you for long, Neill

I absolutely LOVE it when people get cross on here - it livens the place up and I am sure it is good for the health - gets the blood up, gets the juices flowing! I don't think NTN should be told off at all! Go at it! And we'll order a full size boxing ring for OB's day! In the chapel!

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote: -- but you only get two Shots !

Can we have the 2 shots (mine's a Glanmorangie single malt) BEFORE stepping into the ring?

How very civilised

It really makes me want to get to next OB day somehow!

OBD is now posted on the CHA website (still CHAssociation, although name has changed to 'CHOBA'). Sometime in April I believe....

Angela Woodford wrote:
Various other hymns come to mind, too. I can't remember the first line, but

Something something isle
Where every prospect pleases
But only man is vile -

Which goes on to comment

"The heathen in his blindness
Bows down to wood and stone"

Funny really - those fanatical Christians would quite happily come out with comments such as

"Oh, but Mother Nature Knows Best".

It's From Greenland's icy mountains see http://hymnal.oremus.org/hwiki/index.ph ... mountains/ : an unashamed plug for missionary giving. I remember Te harinui - I definitely remember thinking the conversion of the Maoris probably wasn't like that at all.
There was also an Australian carol from the same period which included the words "Out on the plain the brolgas (eh?) are dancing/ lifting their feet like warhorses prancing; in the blue ranges lorikeets calling, carols of bushbirds rising and falling: Orana, orana, orana to Christmas Day". A far cry from Hertford in December.... Had JT been on an antipodean trip by any chance? Both lovely tunes but dodgy content (like many hymns sung in my new church....).

Oh yes, I remember that one too, now you mention it Mary. It does make you wonder what Miss Taverner's connection with the Antipodes was, doesn't it?

Talking of Miss T, I remember her mentioning in passing one time that she used to go and write down the music for a local singer who composed songs but couldn't read or write music himself. The name didn't mean anything to me at the time. It was Marty Wilde

Mary, thank goodness you are there.

I woke up this morning still trying to think of the first line of that hymn. The tune had got into my head! "From Greenland's Icy Mountains" of course.

"They called us to deliver
Their land from error's chain"

A couple of lines which make me wince... thank you, Mary. Now I shall dance like a brolga. A brolga is an Australian crane which performs an intricate mating dance!

After a few moments with Google -

Carol of the Birds

Out on the plains the brolgas are dancing
Lifting their feet like war horses prancing
Up to the sun the woodlarks go winging
Faint in the dawn light echoes their singing
Orana! Orana! Orana to Christmas Day

Down where the tree ferns grow by the river
There where the waters sparkle and quiver
Deep in the gullies bell-birds are chiming
Softly and sweetly their lyric notes rhyming
Orana! Orana! Orana to Christmas Day

Friar birds sip the nectar of flowers
Currawongs chant in the wattle tree bowers
In the blue ranges lorikeets calling
Carols of bushbirds rising and falling
Orana! Orana! Orana to Christmas Day


Written by William Garnet James & John Wheeler

The word "Orana" means "Welcome"

This is rather charming - and no conversion of the natives in the Carol! The treatment of Aborigines, however...

Re the Boxing Ring --- TBA has pointed out --- correctly -- that this would then be my 34th Fight.
And since it was number 33,( In which I got a good hiding from the Army Reserve in the BAOR Finals !) which caused my Diabetes ---- number 34 would, in all probability Kill Me !!!
(Il a idee sur son Garde -- above his station ?)

I think Huntertitus and I, would do well to compete in Single Malts --- mine's a Bowmore !!

I'd much rather share a bottle or two than enter the ring. I tested a bottle of 45 proof Talisker the other day which was on special offer but it tasted like petrol, especially when mixed with water. Is Bowmore a single malt?

Angela Woodford wrote:
Carol of the Birds

Out on the plains the brolgas are dancing
Lifting their feet like war horses prancing
Up to the sun the woodlarks go winging
Faint in the dawn light echoes their singing
Orana! Orana! Orana to Christmas Day

Down where the tree ferns grow by the river
There where the waters sparkle and quiver
Deep in the gullies bell-birds are chiming
Softly and sweetly their lyric notes rhyming
Orana! Orana! Orana to Christmas Day

Friar birds sip the nectar of flowers
Currawongs chant in the wattle tree bowers
In the blue ranges lorikeets calling
Carols of bushbirds rising and falling
Orana! Orana! Orana to Christmas Day


Written by William Garnet James & John Wheeler

The word "Orana" means "Welcome"

This is rather charming - and no conversion of the natives in the Carol! The treatment of Aborigines, however...

Hmm. I agree it's politically unexceptionable,as far as one can tel, but in a boring fuddy-duddy clerical sort of way I prefer my carols to say something about Jesus, the incarnation, or at least God.

On a separate note (sic), I've been learning to sing Evensong, and it's amazing how the sung responses take me straight back to Hertford on Sunday late afternoons - they're ingrained in my consciousness. Mr Walker must be turning in his grave