“Sebastopol (Old England's Gained the Day; Capture and Destruction of Sebastopol; Cheer, Boys, Cheer)”

Description

"Cheer lads, cheer! the enemy is quaking ... our foes we did defeat, ... Sebastopol is taken." Pellisier and Simpson lead the French and English "their cannons loud did rattle ... and the flags of France and England waved on Sebastopol."

Supplemental text

Sebastopol (Old England's Gained the Day; Capture and Destruction of Sebastopol; Cheer, Boys, Cheer)
  Partial text(s)

          *** A ***

Sebastopol

From Stan Hugill, Shanties from the Seven Seas, Mystic Seaport Museum
1994 edition, pp. 322-323. All lines but the first and third of each
verse are a chorus.

The Crimea War is over now,
  Sebastopol is taken!
The Crimea War is over now,
  Sebastopol is taken!
    So cheer, boys, cheer,
    Sebastopol is taken!
    And sing cheer, boys, cheer,
    Old England's gained the day.

(3 additional stanzas)

Notes

Bodleian, Harding B 26(95), "Cheer, Boys Cheer, for the Fall of Sebastopol" ("Cheer lads cheer, for Brittannia's sons none bolder"), J. Moore (Belfast), 1846-1852 [not possible] is a similar broadside.

Smith/Hatt has this fragment as a capstan shanty. - BS

Hugill also has it as a capstan shanty, and calls it a "broken-down version of the original march, or rather of its chorus. The original march tune was known as the 'Loth-to-depart.'" - [RBW, BS]

There are quite a few other broadsides floating around called "Cheer, Boys, Cheer," celebrating other events. I haven't seen any evidence that they're traditional. Similarly, Charles Mackay wrote "Cheer Boys! Cheer! No More of Idle Sorrow," with music set by Henry Russell, but it never seems to have escaped from the straitjacket of sheet music. - RBW

Historical references

• Sep 9, 1855 - Fall of Sevastopol following an 11 month siege

Cross references

• cf. "Newfoundland and Sebastopol" (subject, theme)
• cf. "Cheer, Boys, Cheer!" (tune, per broadsides Bodleian Firth b.26(215) and Bodleian Firth b.25(586))

Broadsides

• Bodleian, Firth b.26(215) , "Capture and Destruction of Sebastopol" ("Cheer lads, cheer! the enemy is quaking"), A. Ryle and Co. (London), 1855?; Firth b.25(586), "Capture and Destruction of Sebastopol"

References

1. Smith/Hatt, p. 31, "Old England's Gained the Day" (1 text)
2. Hugill, pp. 428-429, "Sebastopol" (1 text, 1 tune) [AbEd, pp. 322-323]
3. ST SmHa041 (Partial)
4. Roud #8293
5. BI, SmHa041