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MMD > Archives > March 2006 > 2006.03.09 > 05Prev  Next


"Invercargill March" Words by Frank Baker Murn
By Keith Reedman

>[ The images show pencilled lyrics!  Perchance are these the words
>[ composed by Frank Baker Murn for the Mastertouch Word Roll?

Yes, the words pencilled in on the sheet music located in the National
Library of Australia site are indeed the words on the Mastertouch roll.
[Ref. http://nla.gov.au/nla.mus-an5417851 ]  It is wonderful march
music to my ears but my heart is touched by the words and music in
conjunction and my eyes almost brim.

I bought the roll in an antique market in Adelaide a couple of years
ago for a few Australian dollars -- mainly because I have a friend who
lives in Invercargill.  I was delighted with my purchase when I got it
home to England and put it on the piano.  The box label reads:

  Invercargill March
  Lithgow - F. Baker-Murn
  Played by L. Keys & L. Pardy
  90   W. H. Paling & Co. Ltd.

The leader is rubber stamped:

  Mastertouch
  Word Roll
  Invercargill March
  Words by Frank Baker Murn
  Music by Alex. F. Lithgow
  D461

The leader also has a small paper sticker with the word 'Palings'.
I played it through (2 minutes 15 secs) to see whether there was
anything marked at the end, but nothing.  I have copied the words
from my Mastertouch roll thus:

  Though I've sailed o'er seas and wandered far from homeland
  There's a yearning strong that calls me back to my land
  Where in boyhood days I used to laugh and play
  Then life to me then it seemed was all play free of care
  Joyous hours I remember all my pals of good old school days
  And our motto 'Play the Game' 'twill serve you always.

  I long for my old home-town to greet with hand-clasp all friends so true
  The memories of boyhood days throughout the years will never fade
  And someday I will return to mountains high and green leaf'd fern
  'Twill always be so dear to me my land so free in Southern Seas
  With its emblem in the sky 'twill greet me as my ship draws nigh.

  Invercargill 'tis the only place that I adore
  And my dear old pals I long to see them all once more
  Soon my ship will be a-sailing o'er the deep blue sea
  To my dear old home, the gem of all the Southern Seas.

The line endings might be slightly amiss as they are of course
continuous on the roll.

Best Regards,
Keith Reedman
Derbyshire, England


(Message sent Thu 9 Mar 2006, 19:53:36 GMT, from time zone GMT.)

Key Words in Subject:  Baker, Frank, Invercargill, March, Murn, Words

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