Lillibullero is a march that sets the words of a satirical ballad generally said to be by Lord Thomas Wharton to music attributed to Henry Purcell. Although the latter published Lillibullero in his compilation Music's Handmaid of 1689 as "a new Irish tune", it is probable that Purcell hijacked the tune as his own, a common practice in the musical world of the time. It is stated in a BBC's article on its signature tune (see External Links) that the tune "started life as a jig with Irish roots, whose first appearance seems to be in a collection published in London in 1661 entitled 'An Antidote Against Melancholy', where it is set to the words "There was an old man of Waltham Cross"." A French version of the tune is known as the Marche du Prince d'Orange, attributed to Louis XIV's court composers Philidor the Elder and Jean-Baptiste Lully. The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa is considered amongst the greatest marches ever written. ... 68. ... Thomas Wharton, PhD, (born c. ... Henry Purcell Henry Purcell (IPA: [1]; September 10 (?) [2], 1659–November 21, 1695), a Baroque composer, is generally considered to be one of Englands greatest composers—indeed, he has often been called Englands finest native composer. ... Lillibullero is a march that sets the words of a satirical ballad generally said to be by Lord Thomas Wharton to music attributed to Henry Purcell. ... Prince of Orange is a title of nobility, originally associated with the principality of Orange in southern France. ... Louis XIV King of France and Navarre By Hyacinthe Rigaud (1701) Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné) (September 5, 1638–September 1, 1715) reigned as King of France and King of Navarre from May 14, 1643 until his death. ... Jean-Baptiste de Lully, originally Giovanni Battista di Lulli (November 28, 1632 – March 22, 1687), was an Italian-born French composer, who spent most of his life working in the court of Louis XIV of France. ...

The lyrics refer to the Williamite war in Ireland 1689-91, which arose out of the Glorious Revolution. In this episode King James II abdicated and fled after an invasion of England by Duthc forces under William III. William was invited by Parliament to the throne. James II then tried to reclaim the crown with the assistance of France and his Catholic supporters in Ireland led by Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell. His hopes of using Ireland to reconquer England was thwarted at the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690. The song 'Lilliburlero' puts words into the mouths of Irish Catholic Jacobites and satirizing their sentiments, pillories the supporters of the Catholic King James. It was said to have ‘sung James II out of three kingdoms’. The tune seems to have been known at the time of the English Civil War. 'Lilliburlero' is an anglicisation of an Irish language phrase, Lile ba léir é For the context of this war see Jacobitism and Glorious Revolution. ... The Revolution of 1688, commonly known as the Glorious Revolution, was the overthrow of James II of England in 1688 by a union of Parliamentarians and the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau (William of Orange). ... James II of England/VII of Scotland (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) became King of Scots, King of England, and King of Ireland on 6 February 1685, and Duke of Normandy on 31 December 1660. ... Look up abdication in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... William III of England (The Hague, 14 November 1650 – Hampton Court, 8 March 1702; also known as William II of Scotland and William III of Orange) was a Dutch aristocrat and a Protestant Prince of Orange from his birth, Stadtholder of the main provinces of the Dutch Republic from 28... The Houses of Parliament, seen over Westminster Bridge The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. ... Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnel (1630 – 14 August 1691), the fifth son of Sir William Talbot, Bart. ... Combatants Jacobite Forces -6000 French troops, 19,000 Irish Catholic troops Williamite Forces -English, Scottish, Dutch, Danish, Huguenot and Ulster Protestant troops Commanders James VII and II William III of England Strength 25,000 36,000 Casualties ~1,500 ~750 William III (William of Orange) King of England, Scotland and... This article is not about the Jacobite Orthodox Church, nor is it about Jacobinism or the earlier Jacobean period. ... The English Civil War consisted of a series of armed conflicts and political machinations that took place between Parliamentarians (known as Roundheads) and Royalists (known as Cavaliers) between 1642 and 1651. ... Irish (), a Goidelic language spoken in Ireland, is constitutionally recognised as the national and first official language of the Republic of Ireland, is an official language of the European Union, and has official recognition in Northern Ireland as well. ...

Lyrics

Ho, brother Teague, dost hear the decree?

Lillibullero bullen a la

We are to have a new deputy

Lillibullero bullen a la

Refrain:

Lero Lero Lillibullero

Lillibullero bullen a la

Lero Lero Lero Lero

Lillibullero bullen a la

Oh by my soul it is a Talbot

Lillibullero bullen a la

And he will cut every Englishman's throat

Lillibullero bullen a la

Refrain

Now Tyrconnell is come ashore

Lillibullero bullen a la

And we shall have commissions galore

Lillibullero bullen a la

Refrain

And everyone that won't go to Mass

Lillibullero bullen a la

He will be turned out to look like an ass

Lillibullero bullen a la

Refrain

Now the heretics all go down

Lillibullero bullen a la

By Christ and St Patrick's the nation's our own

Lillibullero bullen a la

Refrain

There was an old prophecy found in a bog

Lillibullero bullen a la

The country'd be ruled by an ass and a dog

Lillibullero bullen a la

Refrain

Now this prophesy is all come to pass

Lillibullero bullen a la

For James is the dog and Tyrconnell's the ass

Lillibullero bullen a la

Refrain

Official standard of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (plural: Lords Lieutenant), also known as the Judiciar in the early mediaeval period and as the Lord Deputy as late as the 17th century, was the Kings representative and head of the Irish executive during the... Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnel (1630 – 14 August 1691), the youngest of sixteen children of Sir William Talbot, Bart. ... A Medieval Low Mass by a bishop. ... Statue of Saint Patrick Saint Patrick (died March 17, 462, 492, or 493), is the patron saint of Ireland. ...

An explanation of the lyrics

The lyrics of the song are very closely related to Irish politics of the 1680s and '90s. "Teague" or Taig was (and is) an abusive term for the native Irish Catholics -derived from the Irish first name "Tadhg". The "new Deputy" refers to Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, who was appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland by James II in 1688. The first Irishman and Roman Catholic to hold the post in nearly 200 years, he quickly filled the army in Ireland with Catholic officers (hence "we will have commissions galore") and recruits, alarming the Protestant community (mainly composed of English and Scottish settlers) and raising the hopes of the Irish Catholic community for a restoration of their lands and political power ("by Christ and St Patrick, the nation's our own"). The Catholic resurgence awakened Protestant fears of a massacre of all British and Protestant inhabitants of Ireland, which they believed had been attempted in the Irish Rebellion of 1641 ("he will cut every Englishman's throat"). Taig (also Teague) is a slang term used by some in Scotland and Northern Ireland to refer to Irish Roman Catholics. ... Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnel (1630 – 14 August 1691), the fifth son of Sir William Talbot, Bart. ... Official standard of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (also known as the Viceroy or in the Middle Ages as the Lord Deputy) was the head of Englands (pre-1707) or Britains (post 1707) administration in Ireland. ... James II of England/VII of Scotland (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) became King of Scots, King of England, and King of Ireland on 6 February 1685, and Duke of Normandy on 31 December 1660. ... // Events A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the Immortal Seven, invite William and Mary to depose James II of England. ... The Irish Rebellion of 1641 began as an attempted coup détat by Irish Catholic gentry, but rapidly degenerated into bloody intercommunal violence between native Irish Catholics and English and Scottish Protestant settlers. ...

The song parodies the widespread Irish belief in prophecy ("there was an old prophecy found in a bog, that Ireland'd be ruled by an ass and a dog"). Talbot as well as being a name is a breed of hound or hunting dog. A common theme of such prophecies was the foreigners would be driven out of Ireland in some decisive battle. See the Siege of Limerick (1690), for an example of these attitudes. The song's title and the words of the refrain have been interpreted as a garbled version of the Irish words Lile ba léir é, ba linn an lá, "Lilly was clear and ours was the day". The lily may be a reference to the fleur de lis of France, or to a popular interpreter of prophecies named William Lilly, who had prophesied in the late 16th century that a Catholic would come to the throne of England. Alternatively, the lyrics could mean, "Lilly is clear [about this], the day will be ours". It is also thought that "Lilli" is a familiar form of William, and that bullero comes from the Irish "Buaill Léir ó", which gives: " William defeated all that remained" The Talbot Hound was a snow white hunting dog in Great Britain that was of such large stature with such keen smell that it was credited with being capable of bringing down a white stag in the midst of winter. ... Combatants Jacobite Forces - French and Irish Catholic toops Williamite Forces - English, Scottish Dutch, Danish, Ulster troops Commanders French general Lauzun, Irish commanders Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, Patrick Sarsfield William III of England Strength 14,500 Jacobite infantry in Limerick, 2500 cavalry in Clare 25,000 men Casualties ~400... The fleur-de-lis (or fleur-de-lys; plural: fleurs-de-lis) is a stylised design of an iris flower which is used both decoratively and symbolically. ... William Lilly William Lilly (May 1 (O.S.)/May 11 (N.S.), 1602 - June 9, 1681), was a famed English astrologer and occultist during his time. ...

The Protestant Boys

Other words have been set to the tune. Of these words, the best-known, is The Protestant Boys, an Ulster Protestant folk lyric which is sung and played by the Orange Order during its parades, which have been made the subject of controversy during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. These lyrics begin: Statistics Area: 24,481 km² Population (2006 estimate) 1,993,918 Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and of the people. ... Lyrics are the words in songs. ... Orangemen in traditional dress preparing to march The Orange Institution, more commonly known as the Orange Order, is a Protestant fraternal organisation based predominantly in Northern Ireland and Scotland with lodges throughout the Commonwealth and in the United States. ... For the UK post-rock band, see Troubles (band). ... Motto:  (Latin for Who will separate us?)[1] Anthem: UK: God Save the Queen Regional: (de facto) Londonderry Air Capital Belfast Largest city Belfast Official language(s) English (de facto), Ulster Scots, Irish3, Northern Ireland Sign Language, Irish Sign Language Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of...

The Protestant Boys are loyal and true

Stout hearted in battle and stout-handed too

The Protestant Boys are true to the last

And faithful and peaceful when danger has passed

And Oh! they bear and proudly wear

The colours that floated o'er many a fray

Where cannon were flashing

And sabres were clashing

The Protestant Boys still carried the day.

The BBC and Lillibullero

The tune of Lillibullero was adopted by the British Broadcasting Corporation's World War II programme Into Battle and became the unofficial march of the Commando Regiment of the British Army. Since its association with the BBC's role in the war, various recordings of Lillibullero have been played by the BBC as an identity signal. These include a marching band and a symphony orchestra. The most recent recording, performed by a string orchestra, was until recently played on the BBC World Service several times a day. The first few bars still precede the 3AM news bulletin. See also External Links. This article is an overview article about the Crown chartered British Broadcasting Corporation formed in 1927. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... In military science, the term commando can refer to an individual, a military unit or a raiding style of military operation. ... An American college marching band on the field (University of Texas) A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who generally perform outdoors, and who incorporate movement â€“ usually some type of marching â€“ with their musical performance. ... Orchestra at City Hall (Edmonton). ... The BBC World Service is one of the most widely recognised international broadcasters of radio programming, transmitting in 33 languages to many parts of the world. ... Lillibullero is a march that sets the words of a satirical ballad generally said to be by Lord Thomas Wharton to music attributed to Henry Purcell. ...

A well regarded argument for the persistence of Lillillero as a signature tune of the BBC World Service was that it its powerful and simple structure was an effective means of identifying the broadcaster. The engineers who selected it were ignorant of its political origins.

REME

Lillibullero is the (official) Regimental March of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (abbrev. REME). This Corps was established during the Second World War and so the BBC's official wartime use of Lillibullero described above may well have played a part in its selection by REME. The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers cap badge The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME; usually pronounced phonetically as Reemee) is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance of all electrical and mechanical equipment. ...

Lillibullero in Tristram Shandy

Lawrence Sterne's experimental and comic novel Tristram Shandy, published between 1759 and 1767 in nine volumes, hints at the great popularity of Lillibullero. One character, Captain Toby Shandy, a British Army veteran of the fighting in Ireland and the Low Countries during King William's reign, whistles the tune to Lillibullero when he is offered any opinion or argument which would require passionate rebuttal or he considers particularly silly. Laurence Sterne Laurence Sterne (November 24, 1713 - March 18, 1768) was an Anglo-Irish novelist and clergyman. ... The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (or, more briefly, Tristram Shandy) is a novel by Laurence Sterne. ...

See also

• The Boyne Water
• Croppies Lie Down

The Boyne Water is an Ulster Protestant folksong by an anonymous lyricist. ... Croppies Lie Down is an Ulster Protestant folksong by an anonymous lyricist. ...

External links

• BBC web page including a sung recording of Lillibullero
• Complete lyrics to The Protestant Boys
• BBC World Service interval signal recording of Lillibulero in .wav format
• A MIDI performance of A New Irish Tune in G (Lilliburlero), Z 646, from Musick's Hand-Maid (Pieces for Harpsichord) by Purcell 1689
• A real harpsichord performance of A New Irish Tune by Gustav Leonhardt (it is a mono, 24 kbit/s, preview file)
• What is the BBC World Service signature tune?
• The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, available at Project Gutenberg.
• Bedlam Abbey instrumental version of the song (MP3)