The Voice of the Guns
Encyclopedia
The Voice of the Guns is a British military march composed by Kenneth Alford
during World War I
. It was written as a tribute to British artillerymen serving in the war, hence its name, though later became widely adopted by the entire British army. It is not to be confused with the poem by Gilbert Frankau
.
The piece is generally arranged for a full marching band
or orchestra
, though piano
and organ
versions have also been composed. Maurice Jarre
's score used an arrangement for piccolos (in lieu of fifes) with drums within his overture for "Lawrence Of Arabia", and he also rearranged the piece for a military band, assembled from the London Philharmonic Orchestra, which segues in an out of fragmentary motifs from the 'Lawrence' theme, later during the film. It is to be remarked that Jarre's arrangement of the march is quite different from the original, and it does not utilize the original 6-bar introduction.
The song starts out with three brief musical phrases, followed by a segue into the main triumphant, fast-moving marching theme which remains throughout the rest of the piece. The full version of the piece generally lasts about three minutes, though longer and shorter arrangements have also been made.
An arrangement of it was famously used in David Lean
's film Lawrence of Arabia
(1962), used to represent British military power. Its most notable use in the film occurs during the scene when Lawrence (Peter O'Toole
) and General Allenby (Jack Hawkins
) discuss strategy while descending the stairs of the British army headquarters in Cairo
.
Today the piece remains a popular selection for marching bands and orchestras. In 1983 the quick march of the Royal Artillery, "British Grenadiers" (in use by the regiment since 1762) was extended, by Lt. Col. Stanley Patch, to include the Trio section from "The Voice Of The Guns", in honour of the Royal Artillery's Captain General, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The British Grenadiers used by the Royal Artillery differs from that of the Grenadier Guards
only by having different horn parts, other than that they are identical. Its association with the Royal Artillery pre-dates the formation of the Grenadier Guards Regiment, and the Royal Artillery were the first British regiment to use the French 'grenate', or grenade. The Royal Artillery were also the first British regiment to adopt the grenade as a badge symbol.
Kenneth Alford
Frederick Joseph Ricketts was a British composer of marches for band. Using the pen name Kenneth J. Alford, his marches are considered to be great examples of the art...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It was written as a tribute to British artillerymen serving in the war, hence its name, though later became widely adopted by the entire British army. It is not to be confused with the poem by Gilbert Frankau
Gilbert Frankau
Gilbert Frankau was a popular British novelist. He was known also for verse including a number of verse novels, and short stories....
.
The piece is generally arranged for a full marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
or orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, though piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
versions have also been composed. Maurice Jarre
Maurice Jarre
Maurice-Alexis Jarre was a French composer and conductor.Although he composed several concert works, he is best known for his film scores, and is particularly known for his collaborations with film director David Lean. Jarre composed the scores to all of Lean's films since Lawrence of Arabia...
's score used an arrangement for piccolos (in lieu of fifes) with drums within his overture for "Lawrence Of Arabia", and he also rearranged the piece for a military band, assembled from the London Philharmonic Orchestra, which segues in an out of fragmentary motifs from the 'Lawrence' theme, later during the film. It is to be remarked that Jarre's arrangement of the march is quite different from the original, and it does not utilize the original 6-bar introduction.
The song starts out with three brief musical phrases, followed by a segue into the main triumphant, fast-moving marching theme which remains throughout the rest of the piece. The full version of the piece generally lasts about three minutes, though longer and shorter arrangements have also been made.
An arrangement of it was famously used in David Lean
David Lean
Sir David Lean CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai , Lawrence of Arabia ,...
's film Lawrence of Arabia
Lawrence of Arabia (film)
Lawrence of Arabia is a 1962 British film based on the life of T. E. Lawrence. It was directed by David Lean and produced by Sam Spiegel through his British company, Horizon Pictures, with the screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. The film stars Peter O'Toole in the title role. It is widely...
(1962), used to represent British military power. Its most notable use in the film occurs during the scene when Lawrence (Peter O'Toole
Peter O'Toole
Peter Seamus Lorcan O'Toole is an Irish actor of stage and screen. O'Toole achieved stardom in 1962 playing T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia, and then went on to become a highly-honoured film and stage actor. He has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, and holds the record for most...
) and General Allenby (Jack Hawkins
Jack Hawkins
Colonel John Edward "Jack" Hawkins CBE was an English actor of the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s.-Career:Hawkins was born at Lyndhurst Road, Wood Green, Middlesex, the son of master builder Thomas George Hawkins and his wife, Phoebe née Goodman. The youngest of four children in a close-knit family,...
) discuss strategy while descending the stairs of the British army headquarters in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
.
Today the piece remains a popular selection for marching bands and orchestras. In 1983 the quick march of the Royal Artillery, "British Grenadiers" (in use by the regiment since 1762) was extended, by Lt. Col. Stanley Patch, to include the Trio section from "The Voice Of The Guns", in honour of the Royal Artillery's Captain General, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The British Grenadiers used by the Royal Artillery differs from that of the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
only by having different horn parts, other than that they are identical. Its association with the Royal Artillery pre-dates the formation of the Grenadier Guards Regiment, and the Royal Artillery were the first British regiment to use the French 'grenate', or grenade. The Royal Artillery were also the first British regiment to adopt the grenade as a badge symbol.
External links
- 1992 recording by the East Woodstock Cornet Band.
- MIDI sequence of piano version
- http://www.jaguarband.com/VoiceoftheGuns.rm by the John Horn High School Wind Symphony