A Hymn for Eternity: The Story of Wallace Hartley, Titanic Bandmaster

 

Yvonne Carroll has spent years researching the life story of Wallace Hartley, including conducting interviews with remaining members of his family. The bravery of the band and their leader playing "Nearer my God to Thee" as the ship went down is one of the most famous stories relating to the Titanic. It is an endearing tale, and it comes out of the worst disaster to happen to a British passenger liner. Who comprised the band? Who was Wallace Hartley and where did he come from? Not much has been written about this enigmatic band leader or of his part in the tragedy, beyond a few mentions in the many books on the disaster, but he was one of the most important characters in the story of Titanic. Here, the author tells his story and remembers this hero about whom so little has been known.