THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE (USA version) op.320A (January 1983)

Published by: Famous Music/Famous Chappell
Commissioned by: Paramount Films
Instrumentation: Orchestra
[Key to Abbreviations]
Duration: 30 mins
First Performance: Recording at Evergreen Studios, Hollywood 3-4 Jan 1983 Carl Fortina Orchestra conducted by Howard Blake. Sound engineer Rick Riccio

Notes

A

Film starring David Keith, directed by Frank Roddam, produced by Herb Jaffe

Howard Blake's note: The film was supposed to be set in the military college The Citadel, S.Carolina, but they were not too keen to be the location, which moved to Sandhurst, England. I was musical director on the film and involved with organizing an American-style marching band at Kneller Hall for which I wrote and recorded band arrangements of 'Dipsy-Doodle' and 'Bonnie Blue Flag'. I collaborated with Lloyd Fonville on 'Carolina keep us faithful' as the school song, and made a setting of Kipling's 'Recessional' for a choir practice. After I had recorded the score Frank Roddam, editor Mike Bradsell and I were summoned to Hollywood and asked by Jeff Katzenberg to make a new ending and a new 'all-American' score. A new score was commissioned for the film which I composed in Chateau Marmont over Christmas.

 Origin of this 'school song'.

In England in 1977 Howard was  commissioned to write a 'patriotic song', suitable to the times, for a concert to be given by young people in the presence of  Her Majesty the Queen on the occasion her 25th Jubilee, April 1977.

There was not much time to create it and the song was, perhaps rather belatedly, submitted to conductor Sir David Willcocks for approval, and in the event it was not accepted and therefore not performed. 

However, six years later, in 1983, Howard was working in the Chateau Marmont, Hollywood on an 'all-American' re-write of the score of the military film 'The Lords of Discipline'. It was directed by Frank Roddam and produced by Jeff Katzenberg for Paramount. Howard was requested, in a very short time, to produce what would sound like a patriotic school song. For this he was introduced to the screenwriter of the movie, writer Lloyd Fonville, to whom he played through the melody of 'Heirs of Britain' as a suggestion for the melody.  Lloyd was delighted and put his own words to it, súitable as a school-song for what was meant to be The Citadel, a military school in South Carolina. Lloyd wrote a lyric starting: 'Carolina keep us faithful' which was sung complete in the film by the entire cast of military students in the hallowed precincts of the old school hall. It was apparently enjoyed by all concerned.

 

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