Heights of Alma recording

Subject: Heights of Alma recording
From: stormalong
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 03:11 PM

I'm looking for a particular recording of the 'Heights of Alma' which I'm sure I've heard in the past year or so but cannot now trace. I think it must have been by a revival rather than a source singer, and was reasonably close to the original broadside. It was not by Donovan! Any other suggestions please?

Richard

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: ClaireBear
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 03:34 PM

There's a Folk Legacy CD called Irish Songs from Old New England that includes this song. Here's the Web page for the CD. There's a clickable MP3 of the song available there.

The artists who contributed to the CD are listed on the cover, so if you're good at reading fine print you will at least be able to see the group of singers any of whom it might be; unfortunately no details as to who sang what seem to be on the Web site. So read the list, then click on the MP3 and see if you can figure out which one it is!

Hope this helps.

Claire

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: Old Grizzly
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 03:39 PM

Hi Richard.

A search of the database here should reveal a couple of entries along with reference to the text sources.

For a recording try Try CD 'Irish songs from New England - 'The Heights Of Alma -- Ian Robb'

I also recalled the Copper Family singing a related song on 'A Song for Every Season' (1971 LP box set) under the name 'The Battle of Alma'

Hope this is of some use.

( I have the Copper Family version but not the Ian Robb )

Dave

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: Old Grizzly
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 03:43 PM

Claire Bear beats Old Grizzly to the Draw :o)

Dave

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: RTim
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 04:50 PM

Ian Robb's version is totally different to the Copper Family song the Battle of Alma - ie. they are different songs!

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: Old Grizzly
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 05:34 PM

Hi Tim,

Yes, it is a different song about the battle of Alma and thought it might be of interest to stormalong....

...that is why I said it was 'related' and gave the title.

Dave

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: Barb'ry
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 07:00 PM

Mark Dowding sings it (brilliantly) on his CD, Brown Photographs - could it be that one you heard?
Barb'ry

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 10:45 PM

There's a recording, on vinyl, by Australians Liz & John Munro. I think the album was called, Family Favourites. Unlikely to be the one you heard....

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: GUEST,Bruce Baillie
Date: 01 Sep 06 - 01:34 AM

Nic Jones did it a few years ago as well

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: Paul Burke
Date: 01 Sep 06 - 03:25 AM

Dave Walters used to sing a Heights song... the "we caused the Russians to surrender" one... probably on his 1979 LP Innocence and Experience.

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 01 Sep 06 - 04:16 AM

Nic Jones sang it with the group "Bandoggs". I'm pretty sure it was on the 1 LP they made. It came up on e-bay last week - you just missed it.

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: Sugwash
Date: 01 Sep 06 - 04:49 AM

As my chum Bruce Baillie correctly states, Nic Jones did a fine version of "The Heights of Alma". It appeared on a sampler LP put out by Fylde Guitars in the 70s called "Fylde Acoustic", his backing band was Pete and Chris Coe if my memory serves.

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: GUEST,Helen
Date: 01 Sep 06 - 06:10 AM

Nic Jones did sing a great version of the Heights of Alma, but it's not on the Banddogs LP. Sorry.

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Sep 06 - 08:12 AM

Sound the bugle blow the horn hungry soldiers ragged and torn ~ sort of thing? on Walter Pardon vinyl



Ray

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: stormalong
Date: 01 Sep 06 - 09:38 AM

Thanks to everyone for their responses and leads, but I don't think any of these are the one I'm looking for unless it's Mark Dowding's and I heard it on the radio.

I can really only remember the last line of the tune which was dark, strident, Dorian (?) and consistant (in the last line at any rate) with the MIDI file available here: http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiHGHTALMA;ttHGHTALMA.html.

(Incidentally, what is the relationship between the database at this web address and the one at Mudcat? This mirror website is credited to Mudcat but has fuller details including score and audio files etc). I've probably missed the obvious, but could someone please explain?

Stormalong

---

Hi, Stormalong - the sniff.numachi Website is a Digital Tradition mirror. It has conversions of the tunes from Mudcat into various forms of notation, but the source is from here at Mudcat: https://mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=6440.
-Joe Offer, Mudcat Music Editor-

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 01 Sep 06 - 11:20 AM

Sorry for the misdirection - thanks for the correction, Helen.
From what I remember, chorus was something like:

"Britains sons will long remember,
The glorious [ something ] - teenth of September,
We caused the Russians to surrender,
All on the heights of Alma".

If that's not the "Heights Of Alma" in question, sorry, I can't help, but it was nice to be reminded of it.

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: LadyJean
Date: 02 Sep 06 - 12:11 AM

Margaret Cristl, a Scottish singer has recorded it. She sings it to the Bodhran.

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: GUEST,Brian Peters
Date: 03 Sep 06 - 08:28 AM

Nic Jones' version of the song appeared on the Trailer LP "Fylde Acoustic" - a tribute album to the English-built Fylde guitar which Nic and many of those influenced by him played (I still have my 25-year-old Fylde Falstaff). A classic example of Nic turning unpromising broadside material into gold.

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: Jon Bartlett
Date: 20 Mar 21 - 12:16 AM

Another gem found in Sharp's "English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians": "The Battle of Shiloh", sung by Mr. Philander Fitzgerald at Nash, Virginia, 7 May 1918. His set about the battle (6-7 April, 1862) directly parallels "The Heights of Alma", (fought 20 Sept 1854) verse for verse: e.g. stanza 5:

And when our Shiloh hove in view,
It would the bravest hearts subdue
To see the Yankee melody crew
That held the works at Shiloh.

Brian Miller has "motley" for "melody", and our Capt. Cates, here in BC, had "monstrous".

Jon Bartlett

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 20 Mar 21 - 01:12 PM



Donovan Heights of Alma    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sga35pDi434

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 20 Mar 21 - 01:27 PM


Liz & John Munro : Heights Of Alma     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQt8n3sWbUo
Heights of Alma · Ross Sutter     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7ED319mx08
The Heights of Alma · Brian Miller · Randy Gosa     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcv1tuR6VYE
The Heights of Alma · O.J. Abbott    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaA6-XYFmps

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: GUEST,#
Date: 20 Mar 21 - 01:38 PM

There's a live take of Donovan doing the song at 7:45-ish

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtU2P7hqAdg

Subject: RE: Heights of Alma recording
From: GUEST,Ballyholme
Date: 20 Mar 21 - 07:37 PM

There's a nice version by the Irish Country Four on Youtube.