"Big Steamers" is a poem by

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. ...

, first published in 1911 as one of his twenty-three poems written specially for C. R. L. Fletcher's ''"A School History of England"''. It appears in the last chapter of the book. It is intended for children, with the verses responding with facts and humour to their curiosity about the 'big steamers' - as the merchant ships are called.

Songs

The poem has been set to music by two English composers:

Edward German Sir Edward German (17 February 1862 – 11 November 1936) was an English musician and composer of Welsh descent, best remembered for his extensive output of incidental music for the stage and as a successor to Arthur Sullivan in the field of En ...

and Edward Elgar. The poem was also put to music by English folk singer and Kipling Society Fellow

Peter Bellamy Peter Franklyn Bellamy (8 September 1944 – 24 September 1991) was an English folk singer. He was a founding member of The Young Tradition and also had a long solo career, recording numerous albums and touring folk clubs and concert halls. He ...

. German's setting was for baritone voice with piano accompaniment, and published by Cramer in 1911. Elgar set the poem to music late in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, with the permission of Kipling, and it was published in ''"The Teacher's World"'', June 19, 1918. This was in response to a request from the Ministry of Food Control to set the poem to music, with the intention that it would be sung in schools and bring to the attention of children the importance of merchant ships - at a time when many ships had been lost to German

U-boats U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare rol ...

and food rationing had just been introduced. It was a simple song with piano accompaniment, suitable for children, and the first music Elgar had written for about a year. Elgar wrote to

Lord Rhondda David Alfred Thomas, 1st Viscount Rhondda, Privy Council of the United Kingdom, PC (26 March 1856 – 3 July 1918), was a Welsh industrialist and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician. He was UK Member of Parliament (MP) for Merthyr Tydfil (UK ...

: :"The occasion seemed to call for something exceptionally simple and direct, and I have endeavoured to bring the little piece within the comprehension of very small people indeed."

Verses

There are seven verses. The first six verses begin with the children's questions and suggestions, each of which has a response from the personified Big Steamers: ::1. ''"Oh, where are you going to, all you Big Steamers,'' ::2. ''"And where will you fetch if from, all you Big Steamers,'' ::3. ''"But if anything happened to all you Big Steamers,'' ::4. ''"Then I'll pray for fine weather for all you Big Steamers,'' ::5. ''"Then I'll build a new lighthouse for all you Big Steamers,'' ::6. ''"Then what can I do for all you Big Steamers,'' At the last line the children are reminded of what was, at the time, a serious possibility: ::7. ''... And if anyone hinders our coming, you'll starve."''

Recordings

* Choir and piano: ''Big Steamers'' and other music by Elgar, performed by Barry Collett (piano) and Tudor Choir. On CD - The Unknown Elgar - Pearl SHECD9635 * Roderick Williams, Nicholas Lester, Laurence Meikle and Duncan Rock/Guildford Philharmonic/Tom Higgins: Somm SOMMCD243Elgar: The Fringes of the Fleet, etc: Williams/Guildford PO/Higgins
/ref> Higgins' arrangement of Elgar's song for four unaccompanied baritones, and his arrangement of German's song for baritone solo (Williams) and orchestra * A version of the Peter Bellamy setting of the poem appears on the 2012 album 'Diversions Volume 3: Songs From The Shipyards' by

The Unthanks The Unthanks (until 2009 called Rachel Unthank and the Winterset) are an English folk group known for their eclectic approach in combining traditional English folk, particularly Northumbrian folk music, with other musical genres."They may cal ...

Notes

References

*Fletcher, C.R.L. and Kipling, Rudyard “A School History of England” (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1911) *Moore, Jerrold N. “Edward Elgar: a creative life” (Oxford University Press, 1984)

External links