Ivor Novello

Keep the Home Fires Burning

Ivor Novello was born David Ivor Davies, the son of David Davies and Clara Novello Davies in Cardiff in 1893. His father worked for the rent-collecting department of Cardiff City Council, while his mother, whose parents were both musical, was a well-known singing teacher and formed what became the Royal Welsh Ladies' Choir, which she conducted with considerable success, under the name of Madame Clara Novello Davies, sometimes with her son as pianist, now adopting the stage name Ivor Novello.
In 1910, Ivor had his first song published and after the outbreak of war in 1914, Clara tried to persuade her son to write a patriotic song. He refused at first, but Clara had other ideas and composed a song herself, which was so crass that Ivor decided he would write a better one, which was the precise reaction Clara had intended all along! Ivor scribbled a few lines to go with the tune and a family friend, an American lady writer, Lena Guilbert Ford, completed the words. A few weeks later, it was first performed at the Alhambra Theatre, Leicester Square, by Miss Sybil Vane, accompanied by Ivor Novello, to huge success, with the audience joining in and thus launching Ivor to immediate stardom. Mrs Ford had no business sense and never received any royalties - and with sad irony, died when a bomb from a Zeppelin raid dropped on her Maida Vale house in 1918.
"Till the Boys Come Home" was the original title, but it gradually became known by the first rather than the last line of its refrain, namely, "Keep the Home Fires Burning". In this arrangement for choir, the Soprano (or Tenor) Solo begins and is gradually joined by the chorus, at first in ‘commenting' phrases during gaps and held notes, before taking over. There were some alternative versions published to a few of the lines, which gave the song a more general appeal, rather than referring specifically to England and the Great War and it is these alternatives which are used in this arrangement. The song also enjoyed great popularity through many well-known artists such as John McCormack recording it and it retained its popularity throughout World War Two and onwards.
This is available in four different versions: SATB (GM390), SA+Men (GM391), SSA (GM392) or TTBB (GM393).Accompaniment is either by piano or with orchestra (see GMCP022)
Duration 4 minutes