Sir Charles Villiers Stanford - British Covenanter

Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924) was born into a Protestant and Unionist family in Dublin but moved to England, where he played an important role in the renaissance of British classical music.

He lived through the three Home Rule crises and was a firm supporter of Ulster unionists in their opposition to Home Rule for Ireland.  

In 1913 he welcomed the formation of the Ulster Volunteer Force by Carson, Craig and the Ulster Unionist Council and in 1914 he signed the British Covenant, which was launched by the League of British Covenanters, who were British supporters of Ulster

Stanford's interest in Ulster was also reflected in his music, including his song settings of the Ulster-Scots poet John Stevenson's Pat McCarty: His Rhymes (1910), his Irish Rhapsody No 4 (1913), also known as The Fisherman of Lough Neagh and What He Saw and the Ulster March (1913).

The Unionist cause had the support of the overwhelming majority of Ulster Protestants but it also enjoyed substantial support in Great Britain, including that of prominent cultural figures such as Sir Charles Stanford, the poet Rudyard Kipling and Sir Edward Elgar, another important musician, who was a Roman Catholic.  

Advocating for the Union and cultivating support for the Union are vital for the preservation of the Union.