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No. 3: Chorus and Song (Colonel)

"The soldiers of our Queen...
If you want a receipt for that popular mystery"

Midi Symbol MIDI File [38KB, 3' 23 "]

March. Enter Officers of Dragoon Guards, led by Major.

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The Soldiers of the Queen (1960)
Dragoons.
The soldiers of our Queen
Are linked in friendly tether;
Upon the battle scene
They fight the foe together.
There ev'ry mother's son
Prepared to fight and fall is;
The enemy of one
The enemy of all is!
The enemy of one
The enemy of all is!

Enter Colonel.

Colonel.
Darrell Fancourt
Colonel Calverley (Darrell Fancourt) (c.1950)
If you want a receipt for that popular mystery,
Known to the world as a Heavy Dragoon,
Dragoons.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!
Colonel.
Take all the remarkable people in history,
Rattle them off to a popular tune.
Dragoons.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!
Colonel.
The pluck of Lord Nelson on board of the Victory -
Genius of Bismarck devising a plan -
The humour of Fielding (which sounds contradictory) -
Coolness of Paget about to trepan -
The science of Jullien, the eminent musico -
Wit of Macaulay, who wrote of Queen Anne -
The pathos of Paddy, as rendered by Boucicault -
Style of the Bishop of Sodor and Man -
The dash of a D'Orsay, divested of quackery -
Narrative powers of Dickens and Thackeray -
Victor Emmanuel - peak-haunting Peveril -
Thomas Aquinas, and Doctor Sacheverell -
Tupper and Tennyson - Daniel Defoe -
Anthony Trollope and Mister Guizot!

Colonel. Dragoons.
Ah!
Take of these elements all that is fusible,
Melt them all down in a pipkin or crucible -
Set them to simmer, and take off the scum,
And a Heavy Dragoon is the residuum!
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!
A Heavy Dragoon, a Heavy Dragoon,
A Heavy Dragoon, a Heavy Dragoon,
A Heavy Dragoon, a Heavy Dragoon,
is the residuum!

Colonel.
If you want a receipt for this soldier-like paragon,
Get at the wealth of the Czar (if you can) -
The family pride of a Spaniard from Aragon -
Force of Mephisto pronouncing a ban -
A smack of Lord Waterford, reckless and rollicky -
Swagger of Roderick, heading his clan -
The keen penetration of Paddington Pollaky -
Grace of an Odalisque on a divan -
The genius strategic of Caesar or Hannibal -
Skill of Sir Garnet in thrashing a cannibal -
Flavour of Hamlet - the Stranger, a touch of him -
Little of Manfred (but not very much of him) -
Beadle of Burlington - Richardson's show -
Mister Micawber and Madame Tussaud!

Colonel. Dragoons.
Ah!
Take of these elements all that is fusible,
Melt them all down in a pipkin or crucible -
Set them to simmer, and take off the scum,
And a Heavy Dragoon is the residuum!
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!
A Heavy Dragoon, a Heavy Dragoon,
A Heavy Dragoon, a Heavy Dragoon,
A Heavy Dragoon, a Heavy Dragoon,
is the residuum!


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