Heart Of Oak is the official march of the Royal Navy. It was written in 1859 an Annus Mirabilis for British armed forces by the composer William Boyce with words by the actor poet andplaywright David Garrick (1717-1779). It has been arranged for SATB choir by the composer and pedagogue Eaton Faning (1850-1927).Dr. William Boyce (1711-1779) was a British composer and editor. Hewas a choirboy at St Paul's Cathedral and served as organist at several churches before being appointed Master of the King's Musick in 1755 and Organist of the Chapel Royal in 1758. His editions of English Church music are stillwidely used today.

This work is for soprano solo and string quartet is dedicated with great affection to Kathleen Raine on the occasion of her 90th birthday. The World for string quartet and soprano solo should be performed at maximum intensity throughout. White hot white cold intensely loud intensely soft almost unbearable that which is nowhere and everywhere not human but divine - theanthropic.