The band played on ... Titanic violinist honoured

THE man who famously urged his band to continue playing as the Titanic disappeared beneath the waves has been recognised for his courage.

The latest edition of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, published yesterday, includes a special focus on people remembered for acts of civilian heroism.

Among them is Wallace Hartley, the violinist and band leader who played on to allay the fears of passengers as the ship began to sink and the lifeboats were lowered. Survivors reported the orchestra had played throughout the evacuation to allay passengers’ fears, with certain observers maintaining that the hymn Nearer, My God, To Thee had been played as the Titanic made its descent.