Nearer My God To Thee, Autumn, etc

[Jan C. Nielsen]

I would like to know if there is general agreement now that Wallace Hartley and the Titanic's band did play "Nearer My God to Thee" on the Titanic before it went down. My belief is that since the
revelation (I'm not sure how recently) that Hartley had told someone prior to the voyage that he would play the song if he were on a sinking ship, most people now accept the story as truth of fact. Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

There seems to be just as much agreement, as disagreement for "Nearer My God to Thee". The band probably did play that song during the night, but whether it was the last song or not no one really knows. Personally, from all of my extensive reading, I do not think that they played "Nearer My God to Thee". I believe it was another song, sounding either similar, or the name was confused.

Anonymous.

 

[George Behe]

My website contains a page devoted to the question of whether or not the band played NMGTT. The URL of the website itself is:

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Carpathia

All my best,

George Behe

 

[Tarn Stephanos]

From what I have read, Harold Bride was the only one who heard the band play 'Autumn', yet a whole host of survivors recall the band's last number to have been playing 'Nearer My God To Thee". Perhaps they played both songs, though Im inclined to believe they played "Nearer My God To Thee".

Why do many Titanic historians discount the survivors who claimed to have heard 'Nearer My God To Thee', yet embrace Bride's assertions that the band's last song was 'Autumn'?

Thanks


Tarn Stephanos

 

[Deborah Kogan]

Tarn, I agree. I also can't imagine people who are about to die playing a popular waltz (not the hymn, Autumn)as the last thing they do..

 

[Smith Mize]

I truly can't see it either. Why Autumn, lol? It's not very, well, depressing, and since most of the songs at that point were, I think Mr. Bride must be mistaken. But considering the long list of survivors who claim they heard Nearer my God to Thee, I like to believe they did. Or is it because I love that song....

- Smith [email protected]

 

[Jeremy Lee]

Which Autumn song did they play? There are a few songs named "Autumn". Was it Songe d'Automne?

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Jeremy, nobody knows. Some of the survivors insisted it was "Nearer My God To Thee" others threw in for Autumn. Nobody knows for sure who is right or even if any of them are.

 

[Chris Nicholson]

I recall reading in a Titanic book that said that Wallace Harly said that if he were ever on a sinking ship he would play "Nearer my God to Thee" which makes me believe that it is what they played.

 

[Breanna E Sage]

Jeremy, it is said to be Songe d'Automne, yes. But then again this may just be false also.
Bree.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Honestly, I think the last song heard from the Titanic was something along the lines of;

EEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, what would you do if the lights went out, the hull broke apart and then you suddenly realize that the "unsinkable" ship you were on was all too sinkable?

 

[Deborah Russes]

In the book by Colonel Gracie, he said to his recollection, "Nearer To God" was not played as the idea was to play tunes that would calm the passengers. He did say that a few survivors claim to have heard NTG.

 

[cassie lacey]

Maybe they played both almost all the records ever kept suggest that 'Nearer my God to Thee' was played but there is still a posibility that at some point during the sinking that 'Autumn' was also played.

However, there was a lot going on that night so even though the band was playing, maybe it was just a case of not many were actually listening to the music but concentrating on saving as many lives possible before the ship took the final plunge.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Eh?-

. What records? There were accounts by the survivors, but they hardly agreed.

As to the second part...well...I can't argue with that. When you're on a sinking ship and profoundly concerned with saving your skin when there's no way off, that can be something of a distraction.

 

[X----- X-------]

Little time is left as I have to rush off to work and earn the pennies.

Perhaps the answer lays with Richard Howells book The Myth Of The Titanic, pages 128, 129, 131-2.

Andrew W.