Men of Harlech - Use and Versions of The Song

Use and Versions of The Song

Men of Harlech is widely used as a regimental march, especially by British and Commonwealth regiments historically associated with Wales.

It was first used on film during the titles of How Green Was My Valley (1941). It is best known for its prominent role in the 1964 film Zulu, although the version of lyrics sung in it were written specially for the film. It is sung almost twice in the film (the British open fire on the charging Zulus before the start of the final couplet), in counterpoint to the Zulu war chants and the sounds of their shields. Film editor John Jympson cut the scene to the song so that on either side of cuts where the British soldiers cannot be heard, the song is in the correct relative position.

It was also featured in a 1950 Western, Apache Drums, at the conclusion of the 1945 film The Corn Is Green, starring Bette Davis, and at the conclusion of the 1995 film The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain starring Hugh Grant. An instrumental version features in Peter Weir's Picnic at Hanging Rock. Eleanor Cameron's 1958 novel Mr. Bass's Planetoid has a version of the song.

Rick Rescorla, Chief of Security for Morgan Stanley's World Trade Center office, sang a Cornish adaptation of "Men of Harlech" with a bullhorn, along with other anthems, to keep employee spirits high while they evacuated during the September 11 attacks. After helping save over 2,700 employees he returned to the towers to evacuate others until the towers collapsed on him.

"Men of Harlech" was used as part of the startup music for ITV station Teledu Cymru in the early 1960s and, until April 2006, in Fritz Spiegl's BBC Radio 4 UK Theme.

Adapted versions are sung by fans of several Welsh football clubs and as school or college songs around the world.