It's Time To Play "Name That Tune!!"

[Cougar90]

I have a question that I've been wondering about for years. What is the name of that piece of music that played in war movies, usually when the British Navy comes to the rescue? It goes "Da Da Da-Da-Da-Da Da Da". It was used in the films "The Guns Of Navarone" and "That Hamilton Woman". I emailed several military museums in England without any luck. Does anybody on the Aerodrome Forum website have any information? Cougar90

[Gregvan]

I believe you're thinking of "Heart of Oak".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Oak

[Cougar90]

I listened to three different editions of "Heart Of Oak" and I can safely say that's not it.

[Gregvan]

Sorry, that's the best I can do.

[Graeme]

The Guns of Navarone theme was composed by Dimitri Tiomkin; since this film was produced in 1961, I'm not sure the same music would have been around 20 years earlier for 'The Hamilton Woman' (unless another film of same title was made after the 1941 release).

Graeme

[Cougar90]

Thanks, Gregvan. Graeme--on the GON soundtrack by Dimiti Tiomkin, in the soundtrack he borrows the notes at one point. All the rest of the music was his. The notes were also used in "That Hamilton Woman." Plus the notes have been around forever.

[josquin]

Gentlemen,

I just viewed the scene from "That Hamilton Woman" as the British fleet is preparing to engage their French counterpart at Trafalgar, and the chorus is definitely singing "Heart of Oak." Tiomkin used the traditional song in his 1961 score. The Wiki performance Greg included was not very idiomatic--listen to some other performances on Youtube, then compare those to the theme in the 1941 film. Congrats, Greg, I believe you named the tune in your first sortie.
The melody and the lyrics in the scene from the 1941 film are the same as
"Heart of Oak's."

Josquin

[Gregvan]

Thanks Josquin. Sorry, I should have posted the Youtube video from "That Hamilton Woman" that contains the song first. I knew that "Heart of Oak" was sung in that film, and it's considered one of the main anthems of the British Navy. I am less familiar with the soundtrack to "The Guns of Navarone."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDL6j6PAGlw


Here's another version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKYJ3owDEBA

[Graeme]

Cougar90

Not having a clue about musical notation, I'm sure you're right that musical notes have been around since the creation of music but, as Eric Morecambe might have said, not necessarily in the right order.

My data came from the back of the Guns of Navarone CD case where it doesn't mention Hearts of Oak, hence my observation that if Tiomkin had come up with something original in 1961 it wouldn't (except if time travel was a possibility) have been existent in 1941.

Graeme