The Music of Peter Brodie

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SeaBritain 2005 is a year-long festival of events that explores every aspect of our rich maritime heritage. It marks the bicentenary of Admiral Lord Nelson's death and the Battle of Trafalgar.

"The sea runs through so much of our lives in Britain - from seaside resorts to commercial ports, from pleasure craft to the Royal Navy and from our maritime heritage to the environmental science of the sea. SeaBritain 2005 will celebrate all of this with events, festivals and activities around Britain's coastline and major waterways." David Quarmby CBE, Chairman of SeaBritain 2005



To mark the occasion, Brodie has written a poem about the life of Nelson and the battle. His aim is to provide people with a few basic facts and fill in any blanks people may have in their knowledge. As he says: "I saw the publicity for SeaBritain 2005 and realised I knew very little of the man or the battle, including where Nelson was born or even where Trafalgar is!"

Brodie is hoping that the poem will be read out during the celebrations and events taking place all over the UK during the year, and possibly turned into a song.

The SeaBritain2005 website is very kindly promoting the poem in its events section.

Note: the poem may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only. It is available to download here as a pdf file (74kB). You will need Adobe Reader which you can get by clicking

The Ballad of Horatio Nelson

In Seventeen Fifty-Eight a baby boy, Horatio,
Was born to Reverend Nelson and his wife
He was brought up in the country, yet the boy would never know
What it was like to live a quiet Norfolk life.

By 12 he'd joined the navy and with his uncle went to sea,
A frail and somewhat apprehensive lad
But by 20 he was captain, and was on his way to be
The greatest sailor Britain ever had

He lost an arm at Santa Cruz, at Calvi lost an eye
But he never lost his passion for the sea.
His vict'ries at Cape Vincent, Copenhagen and the Nile
Ensured him lasting popularity.

Though not at war with Britain, Napoleon wanted to invade
But British ships were thwarting his campaign
He ordered the French and Spanish fleets to break through the blockades
Which Villeneuve did, and he set sail for Spain.

Napoleon then told Villeneuve to sail for Martinique
And link up to create a larger fleet
But he heard Nelson was gaining and his resolve was weak
He returned to Spain so they wouldn't have to meet.

Nelson summoned his captains on board the Victory
And told them of his ingenious battle plan
To form up in two columns and divide the enemy
They listened and they backed him to a man

In the year eighteen-O-five on October twenty-first
Off Cape Trafalgar the two sides finally met
Though fighting at close quarters, the French and Spanish came off worst
The 'Nelson Touch' had proved a real threat

An anxious Nelson at one-fifteen was pacing restlessly
When a fatal shot came from a sniper's gun
But his plans were fast succeeding which he would not live to see
And by five o'clock the battle had been won.

They brought him back to England, aboard the Victory
He lay in state at Greenwich's Painted Hall
A huge flotilla formed outside and waited patiently
For the journey up the river to St Paul's

Up the Thames to Whitehall, then by road along the Strand
Down Fleet Street and ahead up Ludgate Hill
To St Paul's Cathedral where a state funeral was planned
For a grieving nation to bid a sad farewell

Now he looks down from his column at the country that he served
In the London square that bears the battle's name
Seldom was a country's admiration so deserved
And we'll never see Lord Nelson's like again

© Peter Brodie 2005