THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

[January 1948]

A nonsense rhyme for ‘Margaret’¹

Margaret! Margaret
Thrice holy Margaret
Blessed we hold you yet
While life we treasure
Through scollards dreadful & spar²
Margaret leads the van
Stand up then man to man
Scotland for ever.

See “Agincourt” (Drayton)
Charge of the light brigade (Tennyson)
Or Pilgrims Song (Bunyan)

1.  VW had challenged UW to write a hymn dedicated to St Margaret.   The result, for which VW wrote the music, appeared as No.748 in Hymnal for Scotland, incorporating the English Hymnal. See Catalogue of Works 1948/4.
2.  Check reading