Songs and Music

Songs were a very important aspect of a soldier's life. They sang a large variety of types of songs - round a campfire, on the march and even in battle on occasion - regimental, patriotic, folk, bawdy, drinking, parodies, jingoistic, anti-war and their own creations.

The regimental marches of the 65th Regiment were -

Quick - The York and Lancaster, by Winterbottom
Slow - War March of the Priests, by Mendelssohn.

Using a program that plays the notes written on a piece of music, I have included the Light Infantry bugle sounds and music in the Drill Book. Also the Regimental bugle call.

Here is a collection of songs I have compiled. They are songs that, to the best of my knowledge, the British soldiers and sailors serving in New Zealand, 1860-66, would have been familiar with. I haven't put it in, but they were also known to have enjoyed singing "Dixie" by the time of the invasion of the Waikato in 1863!

All for Me Grog
Balaclava
Battle of Alma
Blow The Man Down
Boney was a Warrior
Bonnie Dundee
British Grenadiers
Cashmere Gate
A Drop of Nelson's Blood
The Fall of Rangirriri
Fathom the Bowl
Garryowen
The Girl I Left Behind Me
The Great India War
God Save the Queen
Haul on the Bowline
The Hungry Army
I Would that the Wars were all Done
Ilkla Moor b'aht 'at
Johnny I Hardly Knew You
The Kerry Recruit
Lillibulero
The Lobster
Loch Lomond
The Mermaid Song
The Minstrel Boy to War has Gone
My Dear Old Mother-In-Law
My Heart's in the Hielands
New York Girls
Over the Hills and Far Away
Parcel of Rogues
Rule Britannia
A Scottish Soldier
The Sentry Box
The Rambling Soldier
The Rogue's March
The Young Recruit, or Thirteen Pence a Day
A Wee Deoch and Doris

Also see the Recorded Music list on my Links page.

Here is a comprehensive list of American Civil War songs and music, many of which would have been familiar to people all round the world by the end of the 1860s.

Also, a version of the Digital Tradition Folk Music Database

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Updated: 7 June 2007