# Titanic Hymn



## KYRENIA (Aug 10, 2007)

At a recent quiz the question was "what hymn was played by the TITANIC`s musicians when the vessel was sinking?"
I believe it was "Nearer my God to thee". Was i right?
Cheers John.


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## Binnacle (Jul 22, 2005)

I believe not John, however I can't remember what was played.


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## Cisco (Jan 29, 2007)

Snopes says it was 'Autumn'

Speaking of pub quizzes ... my son was at one recently where they insisted Kennedy was assassinated in 1968....


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## Orbitaman (Oct 5, 2007)

Cisco said:


> Snopes says it was 'Autumn'
> 
> Speaking of pub quizzes ... my son was at one recently where they insisted Kennedy was assassinated in 1968....


Not entirely wrong as Robert Kennedy met his end in Los Angeles on 6th June 1968.(==D)


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## Cisco (Jan 29, 2007)

Ahahaha... its all in the detail........


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## gdynia (Nov 3, 2005)

Autum is the popular choice on alot of web pages


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## jimthehat (Aug 5, 2006)

Binnacle said:


> I believe not John, however I can't remember what was played.


I always thought it was "Abide with me"if I still had a recorder I would play the film.

jim


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## salvina (Feb 14, 2008)

You see John---someone agrees with me! No votes for "nearer my god" yet.


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## Duncan112 (Dec 28, 2006)

Reasonably scholarly assessment of the scenarios here 

http://home.earthlink.net/~llywarch/tnc02.html.htm

but the fact is we don't know - it is possible that the band split into two parties so all theories may be correct.


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## Binnacle (Jul 22, 2005)

jimthehat said:


> I always thought it was "Abide with me"if I still had a recorder I would play the film.
> 
> jim


I thought Jim was meaning the actual facts not the Hollywood myth.


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## KYRENIA (Aug 10, 2007)

Thank you gentlemen. Have just "asked Jeeves" who shows "Nearer my God to thee", although one site mentions a dispute that the tune "Autumn" was played.
Cheers John.


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## Kinnie (Jun 14, 2010)

Some more research into the subject here http://home.comcast.net/~georgebehe/titanic/page3.htm Not a good choice for a quiz question.


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## Tmac1720 (Jun 24, 2005)

Whatever it was I'm sure it went down a treat. (Thumb)


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## michael charters (Apr 4, 2010)

was It,? "From greenland's icey mountains"


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## Neil Purdon (Aug 21, 2010)

I'm surprised to hear that there's even a debate. I've always "known" it to be "Nearer, my God, to Thee". On being dragged along to see the film, that's what they played and I remember thinking "at least they got that bit right!". The tune (as I was told) and played in the film is the tune BETHANY by Dr. L Mason as found in the Victorian Hymnal SACRED SONGS & SOLOS by Ira D Sankey.

I attach a copy from my book which is well over 100 years old.


Neil


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## Kinnie (Jun 14, 2010)

But British passengers would not have recognised Bethany but rather Horbury. http://www.cyberhymnal.org/mid/h/o/r/horbury.mid
Autumn (as reported by Bride) is a marginally better tune http://home.earthlink.net/~llywarch/tnc02.html.htm but NMGTT was never set to it.


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## Paul_Lee (May 2, 2008)

Might be of interest http://home.comcast.net/~georgebehe/titanic/page3.htm


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## Cisco (Jan 29, 2007)

At the end of the day I guess they played lots of stuff... who heard what 'last tune' would depend on when they disembarked.

'Hey, you lot, don't you know the ship is sinking!'
'No, but hum us a few bars and we will pick it up from there'


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## athinai (Jan 18, 2006)

I thought it was, ''NEARER MY GOD TO THEE"


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## linerrich (Oct 12, 2006)

"Nearer My God to Thee" apparently was played at some time on deck, but most accounts say the LAST tune played before it all went down was "Autumn." Problem is, there were two songs by that name in 1912, one was the hymn and one was a popular French song, and there has also been a lot of discussion as to which songs both the Americans and British would have recognized better.

Rich


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## michael charters (Apr 4, 2010)

what hymn will you all choose when you finally go down?


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## Ray Mac (Sep 22, 2007)

michael charters said:


> what hymn will you all choose when you finally go down?


Cushie Butterfield(Applause)

Ray


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## michael charters (Apr 4, 2010)

Burned Toast said:


> Cushie Butterfield(Applause)
> 
> Ray


"I wish she was Here?"


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## Steve Birkenhead (Mar 9, 2007)

You'll never walk alone at the end of the season perhaps?


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## notnila (Apr 26, 2006)

"Chariots of Fire" just as the curtain is closing at the Crematorium!


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## michael charters (Apr 4, 2010)

"and in the END the love you take is equal to the love you make."


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## athinai (Jan 18, 2006)

" I've Been a Wild Rover ''


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## Alex Salmond (Mar 7, 2011)

KYRENIA said:


> At a recent quiz the question was "what hymn was played by the TITANIC`s musicians when the vessel was sinking?"
> I believe it was "Nearer my God to thee". Was i right?
> Cheers John.


A common misconception apparently maybe put about because it sounds good,my impression is the tune were playing was Autumn


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## joebuckham (Apr 1, 2005)

what a wonderful world


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## Peter Fielding (Jul 20, 2005)

"Wish me luck as you wave me Goodbye."[=D]


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## forthbridge (Jun 28, 2007)

michael charters said:


> what hymn will you all choose when you finally go down?


Probably not a hymn but maybe a loud clap of thunder when the curtain closes. Happened at the funeral of a friend of mine and was most impressive.


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## TommyRob (Nov 14, 2010)

The Autumn recollection I believe was provided by Harold McBride, assistant R/O. Credence was given to his belief as he was at his post until the last minute and the fact that he was a meticulous trained observer. Other survivors mentioned all manner of hymns and dance tunes. Hollywood naturally prefers to reinterpret events.

Tom


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

The Titanic's 2nd RO was actually called Harold Bride. His account of the sinking can be read at:
http://www.hf.ro/harry_snk.htm

He did indeed say that the band were playing "Autumn".

Interestingly he had a sister callrd Marie Celeste!

John T


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## Ron Dean (Aug 11, 2010)

KYRENIA said:


> Thank you gentlemen. Have just "asked Jeeves" who shows "Nearer my God to thee", although one site mentions a dispute that the tune "Autumn" was played.
> Cheers John.


I was told in the 1940's that it was "Nearer my god to thee" and at that time I don't believe Jeeves was available for comment. B\)


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## 40907 (Sep 26, 2009)

salvina said:


> You see John---someone agrees with me! No votes for "nearer my god" yet.


Well, perhaps it SHOULD have been!(?) (Thumb)


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## Ron Dean (Aug 11, 2010)

Reef Knot said:


> Well, perhaps it SHOULD have been!(?) (Thumb)


Or perhaps "For those in peril on the sea" would have been most appropriate.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Ron Dean said:


> Or perhaps "For those in peril on the sea" would have been most appropriate.


They could have bucked up the passengers with "Oh I Do Like to be Beside the Seaside ...."

John T


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Unless the band played the same piece over and over for two hours it is quite posssible they played BOTH pieces... and probably several others as well.

Most likely Autumn was played early on that night and the Nearer to God... the nearer they got!


Very unlikely that anyone would have stood around listening to everything the band played during the sinking. I'd be too busy trying to get myself ino a boat!

Stephen


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## Paul_Lee (May 2, 2008)

Written by a friend of mine: http://home.comcast.net/~georgebehe/titanic/page3.htm
many seem keen to dismiss the Nearer My God To Thee story as an invention of the press, but people on board the Carpathia were mentioning it and writing about it before they got to New York.


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