Das Feld der Ehre / The Field of Honor Lyrics — Artus Excalibur

Song Overview

Review and Highlights

Quick summary

• What it is: An opening ensemble lament in Artus - Excalibur, set right after a brutal battle.
• Who made it: Music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Robin Lerner, book by Ivan Menchell.
• Where it appears: The first song listed for Act I, and track 1 on the 2014 cast album.
• How it works: A communal mourning chant that doubles as a political thermometer - you can hear a kingdom asking for a ruler before it knows his name.

Artus - Excalibur (2014) - stage musical - non-diegetic. Act I opener, placed in the aftermath of war, with surviving fighters and onlookers naming the cost out loud. The placement matters because it sets the moral weather: heroism is not shiny here, it is heavy, and the crowd is already pleading for the fighting to stop.

"Das Feld der Ehre" is the kind of opener that refuses to charm you first. Wildhorn often writes hooks that land fast, but here the force comes from the group texture: lines pass through the ensemble like a shared oath, and the music keeps a steady tread, as if grief has its own marching feet. The result is less a welcome mat and more a public funeral, the sort of scene where a nation quietly decides what it is willing to endure next.

• Key takeaway: It frames the story as a war drama before the sword-in-the-stone myth kicks in.
• Key takeaway: The chorus voice is the point - this song treats the people as a character.
• Key takeaway: The melody aims for clarity and weight, not flash, which makes later triumphs feel earned.

Creation History

Artus - Excalibur premiered at Theater St. Gallen on March 15, 2014, pairing Wildhorn's score with Lerner's lyrics and Menchell's book. According to BroadwayWorld coverage of the press preview, the production positioned the premiere as a major event, with video glimpses released ahead of opening night. The cast album followed in early April 2014 through HitSquad Records listings, giving the opener a standalone life as track 1.

Song Meaning and Annotations

Plot

The musical begins with Britain torn by war. After a devastating battle and the fall of King Uther, survivors mourn the dead. This is where "Das Feld der Ehre" enters: a communal pause on the battlefield before Merlin steps in with the next turn of fate, bringing the sword and the idea of a new king.

Song Meaning

The title says "honor," but the lyric stance is closer to exhaustion than glory. The ensemble is speaking for the living and the dead at once: let the fallen rest, let the suffering end, let a leader arrive who can unify what violence has split. That is the clever pressure in the writing. The number mourns, but it also votes. It is the sound of a country ready to trade bloodline chaos for something steadier, even if it does not know what that will cost.

Annotations

No official, track-specific annotation set was located in the consulted production and catalog sources. The most useful anchors are the documented Act I placement and the creators' credited roles, which shape how the opener is meant to function.

After a devastating battle, the surviving knights mourn their fallen comrades ("Das Feld der Ehre / The Field of Honor").

That one-sentence placement note changes the whole listening posture. You are not hearing an abstract chorus about valor. You are hearing a scene that begins with bodies on the ground and a future that feels uncertain.

The musical had its world premiere at Theater St. Gallen on March 15, 2014.

Premiering in St. Gallen matters because the score is built like European mega-musical storytelling: large choral frames, clear scene-to-song mapping, and emotional signposts that guide even first-time listeners through the plot.

Driving rhythm and sound

The rhythm sits in a steady tread, giving the chorus a grounded base. Harmonies arrive in stacked waves rather than showy runs, which suits a crowd scene: many voices, one purpose. The orchestration on record reads as modern theater-pop with a dark sheen, built to carry text clearly while still filling a big room.

Emotional arc

It starts with rest and release for the dead, then shifts into a plea for change. By the end, the grief has turned into a demand: not for revenge, but for an end to the cycle.

Symbols and touchpoints

The "field of honor" is a mythic phrase, but the song treats it as a real place where ideal words meet real loss. It is also a narrative hinge. The battlefield becomes the platform from which the legend can launch: first the cost, then the promise.

Technical Information (Quick Facts)

• Song: Das Feld der Ehre (The Field of Honor)
• Artist: Original St. Gallen cast (album credited to Various Artists)
• Featured: Ensemble
• Composer: Frank Wildhorn
• Producer: Not reliably confirmed in the consulted sources
• Release Date: April 4, 2014
• Genre: Musical theatre; contemporary show tune
• Instruments: Orchestration by Koen Schoots (album and production credits); exact pit varies by staging
• Label: HitSquad Records
• Mood: Somber; resolute; public mourning
• Length: 6:11
• Track #: 1
• Language: German
• Album (if any): Artus Excalibur - Das Musical
• Music style: Large-scale ensemble writing with a modern theater-pop palette
• Poetic meter: Mixed accentual (speech-led phrasing shaped for chorus clarity)

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does "Das Feld der Ehre" sit in the show?

It opens Act I right after a devastating battle, with the ensemble mourning and setting the stakes before Merlin introduces Excalibur.

Who wrote the song?

The score is by Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics by Robin Lerner and the book by Ivan Menchell.

Is it a solo or an ensemble number?

It is credited as an ensemble piece, designed to sound like a community speaking in one voice.

When did the musical premiere?

The world premiere took place at Theater St. Gallen on March 15, 2014.

Is there an official cast recording?

Yes. The cast album is listed on major streaming services, with the album release dated April 4, 2014.

Why is the song called "The Field of Honor" in English?

Production databases list bilingual song titles for reference. The German title is the performed text on the original album.

Did the show continue beyond St. Gallen?

Yes. Production listings note later stagings in Europe and a Korean adaptation under the title Xcalibur, plus later Japanese productions.

Are there chart peaks or certifications for the track?

No reliable chart peaks, weekly positions, or certifications were located in the consulted catalog sources for this cast recording.

Is this song used in film or television?

No credible film or television placement for this specific track was found in the sources used for this write-up.

Additional Info

Wildhorn loves a big opener, but this one chooses grief over fireworks. That choice is not just taste, it is strategy. By starting at the battlefield, the musical earns its magic later. When Excalibur arrives, it does not feel like a prop. It feels like a response to a country in pieces.

Another thread worth noting is how the piece travels across languages and markets. The production history lists a Korean version titled Xcalibur, which suggests the story frame and many musical shapes proved portable even when lyrics and staging shifted. According to the Wikipedia production summary, the premiere timeline in 2014 set the base for those later runs.

Key Contributors

Sources

Sources: Apple Music, Discogs, BroadwayWorld, Wikipedia, Spotify, MusicalPlanet