91�ȱ�

Music was very important during the War.

Keep the 91�ȱ�fires Burning was written in 1914.

It was written by Ivor Novello and Lena Guilbert Ford.

It became one of the most popular war songs.

Ivor Novello. Aged 45. Composer, actor, musician and songwriter.

I was just 21 when I wrote this; an unknown songwriter. The war had just started and I was trying to write a song that would cheer people up. Give them some hope.

I had this tune in my head (he hums a line) but I needed some words. All I had was ‘Keep the 91�ȱ� Fires Burning’. That was it. After that I was stuck. Then I remembered Lena Guilbert Ford. She was an American living in London. Lena was always writing words for songs. Perhaps she could come up with something.

She came to my house. She liked my tune and agreed to go home and write some words. Two hours later the phone rang. Lena had written the rest of the chorus.

‘There’s a silver lining / Through each dark cloud shining / Turn the dark clouds inside out / Till the boys come home. ‘

As soon as I heard Lena’s words I knew that song would catch on. We called it ‘Till the Boy’s come 91�ȱ�’. And catch on it did… as if by magic.

Within days of it being first performed in London in 1914, it was as if o everyone knew it! But the funny thing was people were calling it “91�ȱ�fires” so we changed the title and……

‘Keep the 91�ȱ�fires Burning’ became one of the most famous songs of that terrible war. I became famous too but poor Lena was killed in a Zeppelin raid in 1918 and people soon forgot her. That’s unfair because without her words my tune would have been nothing.

They say there’ll be another war now. Perhaps we’ll have to sing it again.