Friday 20 July 2018

A Crown Devon Fieldings 'The Eton Boating Song' musical jug, the body decorated in relief and inscribed with verse to be sold in our General Sale on Wednesday 25th July


The mug is moulded with scenes of rowers on a river, with "Floreat Etona" below, and Eton Boating Song verse, the jug also moulded with depiction of college buildings, marked "Founded by Henry VI 1440" below, the handle is formed as a young man wearing a hat. To the base is a wind up musical box playing the Eton Boating Song.
The "Eton Boating Song" is the best known of the school songs associated with Eton College that are sung at the end of year concert and on other important occasions. It is also played during the procession of boats. The words of the song were written by William Johnson Cory, an influential Master at the school. The melody was composed by an Old Etonian and former pupil of Cory, Captain Algernon Drummond and transcribed by T. L. Mitchell-Innes. The piano accompaniment was written by Evelyn Wodehouse. It was first performed on 4 June 1863. Ordinarily, only the first, sixth, seventh and eighth stanzas are sung. Contrary to popular belief, the "Eton Boating Song" is not the school song of Eton College, that being "Carmen Etonense".

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