Song from 'Sharpe's Challenge'

Subject: Song from 'Sharpe's Challenge'
From: RangerSteve
Date: 29 Mar 10 - 05:59 PM

This episode from the Sharpe series was on U.S. television last night. There's a real catchy tune being sung near the beginning of the program, at the same time that the subtitle "India 1817" is shown on the screen. Any Sharpe fans out there? I really can't remember any of the words. Sorry I can't provide any more info. Thanks.

Subject: RE: Song from 'Sharpe's Challenge'
From: emjay
Date: 29 Mar 10 - 08:40 PM

I recorded the show, certainly am a Sharpe's fan, and the singing has always been a big part of it. I didn't watch the credits but it still sounds like John Tams, and that damn' O'er the hills and o'er the plains, to Flanders, Portugal.... has been going through my head ever since I watched it last night. But John Tams character, Rifleman Hagman was killed off a while back.
There was that song, and there was the very familiar, Now I'm off to India for seven long years, but the other one -- I'll listen again and in the meantime hope someone more knowledgeable will jump in with title, etc.
Good show, though!

Subject: RE: Song from 'Sharpe's Challenge'
From: katlaughing
Date: 30 Mar 10 - 12:42 AM

I thought it was that one, too: Click. Somewhere, on the author's website, I think, I read that John Tams did all of the songs and acted in, at least the episode they showed last night. Also, the author has a FAQs page which says the tv series does not follow the order of the books vis a vis certain characters. He explains it.

Subject: RE: Song from 'Sharpe's Challenge'
From: artbrooks
Date: 30 Mar 10 - 12:56 AM

The latter for sure - this book takes place before Sharpe saves Wellington at Asseye, and it all takes place at that time.

Subject: RE: Song from 'Sharpe's Challenge'
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 30 Mar 10 - 01:58 AM

Over the Hills and Far Away.. Sharpes Rifles.

Subject: RE: Song from 'Sharpe's Challenge'
From: Dennis the Elder
Date: 30 Mar 10 - 04:35 AM

Could this be it, unfortunatly I have not heard the programme but the words quoted seem to be included, maybe a coincidence as this song is so well known.

THE NIGHTINGALES SING

Now as I was a-walking one morning in May
I saw a sweet couple together at play
O the one was a fair maid and her beauty shone clear
And the other was a soldier, a brave grenadier.

Cho: But they kissed so sweet and comforting
as they pressed to each other
They went arming along the road
like sister and brother.
They went arming along the road
till they came to a spring,
Then they both sat down together
just to hear the nightingale sing.

Then out of his knapsack, a long fiddle he drew
And he played her such merry tunes as she ever knew,
And he played her such merry tunes, caused the valleys to ring
Hark hark, replied the fair maid, how the nightingales sing.

O come, said the soldier, 'tis time to give o'er
O no, said the maiden, please play one tune more.
I do like your playing, and the touching of the long string
And to see the pretty flowers grow, hear the nightingale sing.

Now I'm going to India, for seven long years
Drinking wines and strong whiskey instead of strong beers
But if I ever return again, it will be in the spring
Then we'll both sit down together, love, and hear the
nightingale sing.

Now, said the fair maid, come, soldier, marry me.
O no, said the soldier, how ever can that be?
For I've a nice little wife at home in my own count-e-ry
And she is the smartest little woman that your eyes ever see.

Subject: RE: Song from 'Sharpe's Challenge'
From: gnomad
Date: 30 Mar 10 - 09:12 AM

The voice is John Tams, who is already noted as being heavily involved with the music for "Sharpe". I don't know the tune he is using, nor the exact set of words, but both seem a variant (among many) of the song Banks of the Roses. In some versions this in turn shares some lines with the Nightingales song mentioned by DtE above. Doubtless someone more scholarly than I has investigated the overlaps.

I wonder whether JT was creating something of recognizable origins, but in fact his own, as I understand he did with adding new verses to O'er the Hills. Unfortunately the end credits are missing on my recording of this episode, they might have helped.

The words sung are as follows:
I'm off to India for seven long years,
Drinking wine and strong liquor, instead of small beer,
But if ever I return again it will be all in the spring,
And we'll go roving through the banks of red roses.

Subject: RE: Song from 'Sharpe's Challenge'
From: theleveller
Date: 30 Mar 10 - 09:33 AM

John Tams is a superb musician who was once part of Albion Band and produced quite a lot of their early material including the superb Rise Up Like the Sun album. He's a great live performer, often with Barry Coope, and is part of the No Masters Cooperative along with Coope, Boyes and Simpson, Chumbawumba, Ray Hearne, Mike Waterson, the late Lal Waterson and others. He's a man of many talents, having been a journalist and now a theatre producer and director as well as a musician. (Nice chap, too.)

no masters cooperative

Here's more infor on O'er the Hills

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_the_Hills_and_Far_Away_(traditional)

Subject: RE: Song from 'Sharpe's Challenge'
From: GUEST,PeterC
Date: 30 Mar 10 - 03:15 PM

Oops.

The version of "over the hills" in the TV programmes is heavily re-written by John Tams. I haven't studied the background music closely but I strongly suspect that most of the "folk" material is the same.