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Lyrics & Explanations
“PAX QUAERITUR BELLO”
The great Civil War of the 1640s was probably the worst experience the English, Welsh, and Cornish had ever known. In terms of actual mortality, about a quarter of a million people out of a population of less than five million died, directly or indirectly, because of the conflict. Sure, plagues -Bubonic Plague and influenza- killed a greater percentage of the population at certain times; but this was a conflict that didn’t just kill people - it annihilated their sense of themselves and of their world. It dug up the very roots of their sense of religion, politics, and society; their chances of surviving as communities not just in this life, but in the next: their chance of getting to Heaven, or landing in Hell. The Civil War of England was not a war between States. There was no boundary lying between communities that opposed each other on principle, and because of religious and political differences. This was a war which grubbed its way into the hearts of every county, every community, and many families. It even tore individual minds and spirits apart. This was a civil war in the true sense of the word- like a virus getting inside the “body politic” and rotting it from the inside, until at last it fell apart. We tell the story here of one community - a vital, strategic little seaport, lying where the great chalk hills of the South country sweep down to face a sparking sea, and the Isle of Portland rises against the Southern sky beyond… |
Loyal Men of England Loyal men of England listen well God in heaven is looking down Come rich and poor, march unto his aid With joyous hearts we’ll loudly sing May God save our precious King Saviour of our wayward souls Is basically a call to arms by the Royalists at the outbreak of hostilities using religion and fear as a form of blackmail. Many people were so shocked at the thought of another Englishman ever taking up arms against, as they saw it, a King ordained by God himself, that they were incensed beyond all reason. |
A leader brave Lead from the front in peace or war For whom do we fight ? Born of soil, born of stone Lead from the front in peace or war For whom do we fight ?
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Avenging Angel (Francis Sydenham’s Revenge) What price a mother’s love Stick close to me I heard him say Major Francis Sydenham was a larger than life character. The second of the brothers, he was a Dragoon officer and leader of the Parliamentary Horse in Dorset. The Sydenham’s mother was callously murdered as she barred entry to her home to a Royalist raiding party led by a Major Williams. 3 months later, Francis chased Williams and his men all the way from Poole to Dorchester (23 miles) and fought his way through them to get to Williams. Once there, he shot him dead with a pistol ball to the head, one of many heroic deeds that this professional soldier embarked upon.
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The Heights of Chapelhay (Francis Sydenham’s Song)
A light has gone out A first breath of summer And tears will fall (Spoken) “Among the slain was Major Francis Sydenham, the Governor’s brother, whose memory may not be buried with him. His death was no small joy to his enemies, to whom he was a perpetual vexation and terror, and no small grief to us who had our eyes too much upon him…”
At midnight on the 9th February 1645, 120 royalist soldiers from the garrison at Portland, aided and abetted by royalist sympathisers from Weymouth & Melcombe, attacked and captured two forts in Weymouth. Their watchword for this daring night attack was ‘Crabchurch’, which they used to lessen the chances of them killing each other by mistake in the darkness. It was at one of these forts, the mighty Chapel Fort of St Nicholas overlooking Weymouth quay, that the never say die Major Francis Sydenham was mortally wounded whilst mounting a counter-attack to retake the fort. The epitaph written for him by a minister in the garrison (and quoted as part of this song) speaks volumes of the esteem in which this fearless young man was held.
LORD GORING’S MARCH A beautiful instrumental piece by Taloch & Josh, to mark the arrival on the battle scene of the infamous Cavalier General, George, Lord Goring. He was a professional soldier with a fearsome reputation for letting his men rape and pillage their way through every town they took. He arrived outside Melcombe with 4,500 soldiers which meant that Sydenham’s small garrison was now outnumbered more than six to one. Goring thought that he could teach the provincial upstart, Sydenham, a lesson in warfare that he would never forget. But underestimating Colonel William Sydenham was Goring’s first and biggest mistake as around 500 royalist soldiers were killed in one terrible night of slaughter. |
Lost Years Black powder chokes my senses Well I’m following the colours LOST YEARS This sad and haunting song speaks of loss and of the heartache of losing love and a life together, due to war. The ghost of a woman's husband/lover lingers near her, even though decades have passed since they were parted. The turning point of the whole Battle of Weymouth was when Colonel William Sydenham tricked his far more illustrious and experienced opposite number, George, Lord Goring into believing that he had already won the battle and that Sydenham’s men were routed. On they came in their hundreds down the old, dark High Street of Weymouth, secure in their own minds of an easy victory. Instead, they walked into a brilliantly laid ambush and were cut down where they stood. About 200 were killed and, as a vicious hand to hand fight ensued, Sydenham’s Dorset soldiers succeeded in beating off the numerically superior and more experienced royalist force and chased them back out of Weymouth.
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The Cold Waters of Weymouth Quay They took us for soldiers For a foreign King in a distant land Chorus They called us Papists, they called us scum Tis true we came as mercenaries Chorus THE COLD WATERS OF WEYMOUTH QUAy Another desperately sad song. After the disaster in the High Street, the royalists at last seemed to be making headway as 250 Irish soldiers who were stationed in an isolated fort upon the Nothe, fought their way into Weymouth to link up with Goring’s men. Their luck ran out however when they met with the triumphant Sydenham’s men coming the other way and a short but bloody fight took place, which saw William Sydenham’s horse killed beneath him and the Irish beaten back and finally, fleeing for their lives. But as the battle took place in the small hours of a cold February night, the Irishmen, on unfamiliar ground, missed their turning and instead blundered into, or else were driven over the quayside and into the freezing waters below. All 250 perished in the cold waters of Weymouth Quay.
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Welcome to the ‘Danse Macabre’ Tread softly, up on Nothe Hill The rooks and crows that circle the bay And the Danse Macabre Conspiracy led them to their doom So play the pipes and beat the drums Welcome to the’Danse Macabre’ Welcome to the Danse Macabre With the Battle of Weymouth won, it was time for William Sydenham to track down the ‘Crabchurch Conspirators’ and to try them for their treachery and the loss of a much loved brother in arms, Francis. Fabian Hodder, a Melcombe merchant and the main architect of the conspiracy, escaped justice, but many others were captured, tried and executed for their part in it. This song is about paying the price and, dancing to the hangman’s tune..
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Follow The Drum. I was a Dorset farmer’s boy, till the Captain came for me And we’ll follow the drum to Kingdom Come And don’t hate the man who brought me down And we’ll follow the drum to kingdom come Repeat
Essentially, a rousing drinking song, full of bravado, but with the unmistakable message that the tide of the war was turning against the King and that the common man saw a chance to change his world for ever. A Dorset farmer’s boy hears a rebel Captain speak of opposing the crown, becomes a soldier of parliament and learns how to kill. Bent on removing the monarchy once and for all from this land, he marches away to his destiny.
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The World Turned Upside Down The Devil stalks this tortured land With knaves as master and masters’ knaves So hard to live, so quick to die Repeat all four verses. A common term of the day, used in many different ways to register the hopelessness and woe felt by many at the time. This simple, but effective bardic style rendering speaks of that feeling of doom which gripped this tortured land during the 1640s.
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England’s Freedom, Soldier’s Rights (The Leveller’s Song)
As sure as daybreak follows night The King and Lords have had their day With sweat in rich brown soil tilled Out of pain and poverty Repeat. The battle cry of the Levellers, a group of politically aware soldiers of Cromwell’s New Model Army, who, as they quite rightly claimed, had fought and beaten the King and now wanted something in return …. guaranteed rights for every common man in the kingdom. Many, both high born and low, agreed with them to varying degrees, but would Cromwell and the new elite, allow their dream to flourish ?
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King Saviour Righteous people gather unto him His glory everlasting comfort us A beautiful and unique piece of music, so unlike anything that The Dolmen have ever done before and giving full range to Taloch’s skill, both as a composer and musician. Featuring a guest appearance by guitarist, Jez Lee who also plays bouzouki on it. In this song, in the eyes of the King’s dwindling supporters, both he and the King of Heaven merge as one eternal entity
The Crabchurch Conspiracy is a unique and authentic work developed and performed by The Dolmen,Taloch and author, Mark Vine.
The inspiration for the album was taken from the book of the same name which served as a catalyst for this musical journey. We hope that those who find this subject of historical interest will understand that although these songs are recently composed they are done so with utter respect for all those who lived and died in those turbulent days, risking life, liberty and limb for the cause in which they believed
For more info on The Crabchurh Conspiracy please feel welcome Words & Music are the copyright of The Dolmen & Mark Vine
Crabchurch page |
New World There’s a new world calling us Far away from the madding crowd So, weigh the anchor We’ll be storming horizons new There’s a new world calling us Weigh the anchor Repeat After 9 years of debilitating civil war, it was little wonder that many felt as if a clean break, far away from the old country was the only answer. As poverty and religious intolerance continued to sweep the land, both rich and poor set out for the New World in search of their own Utopia
PAX QUAERITUR BELLO REPRISE As if to signify that nothing ever really changes, we leave the album as we entered it, with the inevitability of war being never more than a stupid decision or a hurt pride away. Here’s hoping that one day, it will change.
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