In this episode of The A to Z of Wartime Song, hosts Lili Redman and Tom Carradine explore the powerful patriotic anthem "There'll Always Be an England". Written by Ross Parker and Hughie Charles in the summer of 1939, the song captured the hopes of a nation on the brink of war and quickly became a staple of the home front, recorded by everyone from Billy Cotton to Gracie Fields. Lili and Tom trace its journey from the film Discoveries to stirring moments of defiance on land and sea - including the crew of HMS Barham, who sang it as their ship went down in 1941. Along the way, they dive into the lives of Parker and Charles, the remarkable career of broadcaster Carroll Levis, and the way songs like this shaped morale at the darkest times. They also reflect on what it means to "reclaim" such an anthem today: is there a way to be proud of English identity without exclusion, and how can music help us rediscover unity and resilience. It's an episode full of history, harmony and the enduring power of song to steady the spirit. SPOTIFY PLAYLIST You can listen to ALL of the songs that Tom and Lili talk about in the episode on their Spotify playlister here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1FQDrBphYqYLAuN6Jm01PN?si=b777dc33a703408a REFERENCES Siren - Lili Redman @ Edinburgh Fringe https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/lili-redman-siren Ramsey 1940s Weekend https://ramsey1940s.co.uk/ Ross Parker - Colchester Pill Boxes where he wrote There'll Always Be An England https://colchesterheritage.co.uk/Monument/MCC4970 Tom's Visit to Chick Henderson's Grave https://www.facebook.com/mrtomcarradine/posts/pfbid02hWwpT994Cp45NbTnvP5tecLSADWHiLiCQL6PmB2TGkpvb2aUQAWatzxMeYiock5Sl Carroll Levis and the Talent Show Revolution https://youtu.be/u3OVTyQujrs?si=jqKQKz7W5n-RlOH Two Thousand Women - Film https://youtu.be/mYLa2KyreH8 Australian Sheet Music Version https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-172613864/view?partId=nla.obj-172613878 St Mary's Guildhall Coventry https://www.stmarysguildhall.co.uk/ Coventry Scout Gang Show https://www.coventrygangshow.co.uk/ Billy Scoot Coomber and his Singing Grenadiers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjXBooW_0hs Ramsey Spitfire Flypast (perfect timing!) https://youtu.be/WHkKR5odqsg?si=RZBHar4HkIoMGcSi&t=748 CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:51 Catch Up 02:24 Reclaiming Patriotic Songs 04:55 T = There'll Always Be An England 05:37 Ross Parker and Hughie Charles 10:36 The Origins of the Song 11:38 Carroll Levis 12:49 Eric Maschwitz 17:25 Carroll Levis and the Talent Show Revolution 20:22 Other Appearances of the Song 23:52 Discussing the Sheet Music 26:47 Discussing the Lyrics 30:25 Discussing the Music 35:07 Discussing Recordings: Billy Cotton 37:25 The Band of the Coldstream Guards 39:05 Jack Payne and his Band 40:21 Joe Loss and his Orchestra 41:23 Billy Scott Coomber and his Singing Grenadiers 43:24 Gracie Fields 43:44 Other Recordings 44:02 What Is Our Favourite? 44:35 If You Liked That You'll Like This 48:16 Mentioned in Dispatches 49:05 Teaser for Next Week 49:57 Outro SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS You can follow the podcast on social media: http://instagram.com/warsongspod https://www.facebook.com/warsongspod Find more information about Lili Redman here: https://liliredman.com/https://www.instagram.com/lili__redman/ https://www.facebook.com/ScalaLil Or Tom Carradine here: https://www.tomcarradine.com/https://www.instagram.com/tomcarradine https://www.facebook.com/mrtomcarradine CONTACT THE PODCAST If there's a wartime song that you think they should discuss, or if you have a personal or family story connected to one, drop them a line at [email protected] to be "Mentioned in Dispatches". LISTENING LINKS Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7ktQ4nyudmPRLcCNyNxEfv?si=ac9e1babe6834f2b Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-a-to-z-of-wartime-song/id1806037318 If you've enjoyed this episode Lili and Tom would be grateful if you'd leave a review and make sure you've subscribed and turned on notifications so you'll never miss an episode.