Who was the 'Master of the King's Band' who composed 'Hearts of Oak' to celebrate British victories in 1759?
Heart of Oak to "freemen not slaves" echoes the refrain ("Britons never will be slaves!") of "Rule, Britannia!," written and composed two decades earlier. The song was written for the London stage in 1759 by William Boyce with words by David Garrick: Come cheer up, my lads! 'tis to glory we steer,<br> To add something more to this wonderful year;<br> To honour we call you, not press you like slaves,<br> For who are so free as the sons of the waves?<br> "Chorus":<br> Heart of oak are our ships, heart of oak are our men;<br> We always are ready, steady, boys, steady!<br> We'll fight
Hearts of Oak (play) Hearts of Oak (play) Hearts of Oak is an 1879 play by Americans James Herne and David Belasco taken from the British play, "The Mariner's Compass", by Henry Leslie (1830–1881). The play is a melodrama concerning a woman who marries her guardian out of gratitude, even though she loves another man. It was extraordinarily successful on tour, starring Belasco, and earning a fortune for him. "Hearts of Oaks" first opened as a five act and six tableaux production at the Hamlin's Theatre in Chicago on November 17, 1879. The actress Chrystal Herne was named after the character her mother, Katherine