Heart of Oak: Difference between revisions

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"'''Heart of Oak'''" is the official [[march (music)|march]] of the [[Royal Navy]]. It is also the official march of several [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] navies, including the [[Royal Canadian Navy]] and the [[Royal New Zealand Navy]]. It was the official march of the [[Royal Australian Navy]], but has now been replaced by the new march, "[[Royal Australian Navy (music)|Royal Australian Navy]]".<ref>{{Citation |title=Royal Australian Navy | date=13 March 2010 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiXv0__DU2A |access-date=2023-11-30 |language=en}}</ref> As of late 2024, the [[Royal Canadian Navy]] is seeking an alternative official march "after deciding the lyrics, which celebrate British military victories in the colonial era and sing of men but not women, are disrespectful and outdated."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chase |first1=Steven |title=Navy to replace official Heart of Oak march with 'more inclusive' music |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-navy-to-replace-official-heart-of-oak-march-with-more-inclusive-music/ |access-date=22 November 2024 |publisher=Globe & Mail |date=21 November 2024}}</ref>

"'''Heart of Oak'''" is the official [[march (music)|march]] of the [[Royal Navy]]. It is also the official march of several [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] navies, including the [[Royal Canadian Navy]] and the [[Royal New Zealand Navy]].

The music of ''Heart of Oak'' was written in 1759 by composer [[William Boyce (composer)|William Boyce]], the lyrics by actor [[David Garrick]], for Garrick's pantomime ''Harlequin's Invasion'', to which others contributed as well. The pantomime was first performed on New Year's Eve of that year at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London,<ref>John Ogasapian, ''Music of the Colonial and Revolutionary Era'' (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004), 100-101. {{ISBN|0313324352}}, 9780313324352</ref> with [[Handel]] soloist [[Samuel Thomas Champnes]] singing ''Heart of Oak''.

The music of 'Heart of Oak' was written in 1759 by composer [[William Boyce (composer)|William Boyce]], and the lyrics by actor [[David Garrick]], for Garrick's pantomime ''Harlequin's Invasion'', to which others contributed as well. The pantomime was first performed on New Year's Eve of that year at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London,<ref>John Ogasapian, ''Music of the Colonial and Revolutionary Era'' (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004), 100-101. {{ISBN|0313324352}}, 9780313324352</ref> with [[Handel]] soloist [[Samuel Thomas Champnes]] singing ''Heart of Oak''.

The "wonderful year" referenced in the first verse was the [[Annus Mirabilis of 1759]], during which British forces were victorious in several significant battles: the [[Battle of Minden]] on 1 August 1759; the [[Battle of Lagos]] on 19 August 1759; the [[Battle of the Plains of Abraham]] (outside [[Quebec City]]) on 13 September 1759; and the [[Battle of Quiberon Bay]] on 20 November 1759. The last battle foiled a [[Planned French Invasion of Britain (1759)|French invasion project]] planned by the [[Étienne François de Choiseul, Duke of Choiseul|Duc de Choiseul]] to defeat Britain during the [[Seven Years' War]], hence the reference in the song to 'flat-bottom' invasion barges. These victories were followed a few months later by the [[Battle of Wandiwash]] in India on 22 January 1760. [[Great Britain in the Seven Years War|Britain's continued success in the war]] boosted the song's popularity.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}

The [[oak]] in the song's title refers to the wood from which British [[warship]]s were generally made during the [[age of sail]]. The "Heart of oak" is the strongest central wood of the tree. The reference to "freemen not slaves" echoes the refrain ("Britons never will be slaves!") of ''[[Rule, Britannia!]]'', written and composed two decades earlier.<ref>{{cite book|last=Brunsman|first=Denver|title=The Evil Necessity: British Naval Impressment in the Eighteenth-century|publisher=University of Virginia Press|publication-place=Charlottesville, US|date=30 Mar 2013|isbn=9780813933511}}</ref>

The [[oak]] in the song's title refers to the wood from which British [[warship]]s were generally made during the [[age of sail]]. The "Heart of oak" is the strongest central wood of the tree. The reference to "freemen not slaves" echoes the refrain ("Britons never will be slaves!") of '[[Rule, Britannia!]]', written and composed two decades earlier.<ref>{{cite book|last=Brunsman|first=Denver|title=The Evil Necessity: British Naval Impressment in the Eighteenth-century|publisher=University of Virginia Press|publication-place=Charlottesville, US|date=30 Mar 2013|isbn=9780813933511}}</ref>

The first verse and chorus of this version of the song is heard in ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' (Season 3, Episode 18 "[[Allegiance (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Allegiance]]"), sung in Ten Forward by [[Patrick Stewart]], in-character as an alien [[doppelgänger]] of Captain [[Jean-Luc Picard]].<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/T7Vadzjac6g Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20140408081239/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7Vadzjac6g Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7Vadzjac6g| title = Picard Singing in Ten Forward | website=[[YouTube]]| date = 9 August 2010 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> Both are also sung by [[Peter Ustinov]] and [[Dean Jones (actor)|Dean Jones]] in the 1968 [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] movie ''[[Blackbeard's Ghost]]''.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/6mru8G84o1c Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web |title=Blackbeard's Ghost - Heart of Oak (English) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mru8G84o1c |website=[[YouTube]]| date=15 July 2011 }}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In late 2024, the Royal Canadian Navy was mulling replacing 'Heart of Oak' with a new composition.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lambie |first=Chris |date=22 November 2024 |title=Royal Canadian Navy considers dropping traditional marching song over diversity issues |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/heart-of-oak-royal-canadian-navy |access-date=15 September 2025 |work=[[National Post]]}}</ref>

==Lyrics==

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-"'''Heart of Oak'''" is the official [[march (music)|march]] of the [[Royal Navy]]. It is also the official march of several [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] navies, including the [[Royal Canadian Navy]] and the [[Royal New Zealand Navy]]. It was the official march of the [[Royal Australian Navy]], but has now been replaced by the new march, "[[Royal Australian Navy (music)|Royal Australian Navy]]".<ref>{{Citation |title=Royal Australian Navy | date=13 March 2010 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiXv0__DU2A |access-date=2023-11-30 |language=en}}</ref> As of late 2024, the [[Royal Canadian Navy]] is seeking an alternative official march "after deciding the lyrics, which celebrate British military victories in the colonial era and sing of men but not women, are disrespectful and outdated."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chase |first1=Steven |title=Navy to replace official Heart of Oak march with 'more inclusive' music |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-navy-to-replace-official-heart-of-oak-march-with-more-inclusive-music/ |access-date=22 November 2024 |publisher=Globe & Mail |date=21 November 2024}}</ref>
+"'''Heart of Oak'''" is the official [[march (music)|march]] of the [[Royal Navy]]. It is also the official march of several [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] navies, including the [[Royal Canadian Navy]] and the [[Royal New Zealand Navy]].
-The music of ''Heart of Oak'' was written in 1759 by composer [[William Boyce (composer)|William Boyce]], the lyrics by actor [[David Garrick]], for Garrick's pantomime ''Harlequin's Invasion'', to which others contributed as well. The pantomime was first performed on New Year's Eve of that year at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London,<ref>John Ogasapian, ''Music of the Colonial and Revolutionary Era'' (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004), 100-101. {{ISBN|0313324352}}, 9780313324352</ref> with [[Handel]] soloist [[Samuel Thomas Champnes]] singing ''Heart of Oak''.
+The music of 'Heart of Oak' was written in 1759 by composer [[William Boyce (composer)|William Boyce]], and the lyrics by actor [[David Garrick]], for Garrick's pantomime ''Harlequin's Invasion'', to which others contributed as well. The pantomime was first performed on New Year's Eve of that year at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London,<ref>John Ogasapian, ''Music of the Colonial and Revolutionary Era'' (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004), 100-101. {{ISBN|0313324352}}, 9780313324352</ref> with [[Handel]] soloist [[Samuel Thomas Champnes]] singing ''Heart of Oak''.
 The "wonderful year" referenced in the first verse was the [[Annus Mirabilis of 1759]], during which British forces were victorious in several significant battles: the [[Battle of Minden]] on 1 August 1759; the [[Battle of Lagos]] on 19 August 1759; the [[Battle of the Plains of Abraham]] (outside [[Quebec City]]) on 13 September 1759; and the [[Battle of Quiberon Bay]] on 20 November 1759. The last battle foiled a [[Planned French Invasion of Britain (1759)|French invasion project]] planned by the [[Étienne François de Choiseul, Duke of Choiseul|Duc de Choiseul]] to defeat Britain during the [[Seven Years' War]], hence the reference in the song to 'flat-bottom' invasion barges. These victories were followed a few months later by the [[Battle of Wandiwash]] in India on 22 January 1760. [[Great Britain in the Seven Years War|Britain's continued success in the war]] boosted the song's popularity.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}
-The [[oak]] in the song's title refers to the wood from which British [[warship]]s were generally made during the [[age of sail]]. The "Heart of oak" is the strongest central wood of the tree. The reference to "freemen not slaves" echoes the refrain ("Britons never will be slaves!") of ''[[Rule, Britannia!]]'', written and composed two decades earlier.<ref>{{cite book|last=Brunsman|first=Denver|title=The Evil Necessity: British Naval Impressment in the Eighteenth-century|publisher=University of Virginia Press|publication-place=Charlottesville, US|date=30 Mar 2013|isbn=9780813933511}}</ref>
+The [[oak]] in the song's title refers to the wood from which British [[warship]]s were generally made during the [[age of sail]]. The "Heart of oak" is the strongest central wood of the tree. The reference to "freemen not slaves" echoes the refrain ("Britons never will be slaves!") of '[[Rule, Britannia!]]', written and composed two decades earlier.<ref>{{cite book|last=Brunsman|first=Denver|title=The Evil Necessity: British Naval Impressment in the Eighteenth-century|publisher=University of Virginia Press|publication-place=Charlottesville, US|date=30 Mar 2013|isbn=9780813933511}}</ref>
 The first verse and chorus of this version of the song is heard in ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' (Season 3, Episode 18 "[[Allegiance (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Allegiance]]"), sung in Ten Forward by [[Patrick Stewart]], in-character as an alien [[doppelgänger]] of Captain [[Jean-Luc Picard]].<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/T7Vadzjac6g Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20140408081239/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7Vadzjac6g Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7Vadzjac6g| title = Picard Singing in Ten Forward | website=[[YouTube]]| date = 9 August 2010 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> Both are also sung by [[Peter Ustinov]] and [[Dean Jones (actor)|Dean Jones]] in the 1968 [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] movie ''[[Blackbeard's Ghost]]''.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/6mru8G84o1c Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web |title=Blackbeard's Ghost - Heart of Oak (English) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mru8G84o1c |website=[[YouTube]]| date=15 July 2011 }}{{cbignore}}</ref>
+In late 2024, the Royal Canadian Navy was mulling replacing 'Heart of Oak' with a new composition.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lambie |first=Chris |date=22 November 2024 |title=Royal Canadian Navy considers dropping traditional marching song over diversity issues |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/heart-of-oak-royal-canadian-navy |access-date=15 September 2025 |work=[[National Post]]}}</ref>
 ==Lyrics==

Heart of Oak: Difference between revisions

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