The Banks of Sicily
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1960.256.B2
Original Tape ID
Summary
This soldier song describes the desparture of the Scots soldiers from Sicily during the Second World War. They are weary from their long campaign, but will miss the affection of the local women.
Item Notes
Hamish Henderson's own composition, set to the first, third and fourth parts of the pipe tune 'Farewell to the Creeks' by Pipe Major James Robertson of Banff (see tape SA1952.23). Henderson composed the song after hearing it played in Linguaglossa by the massed bands of 153 Brigade shortly before the Highland Division left Sicily in 1943.
See:
'What A Loverly War' (R. Palmer, 1990) pp. 174-175
'Alias MacAlias' (H. Henderson ed. A. Finlay, 1992, 2004) pp. 333-334
'Collected Poems and Songs' (H. Henderson, ed. R. J. Ross, 2000)
'The Edinburgh Book of Twentieth-Century Poetry' (ed. M. Lindsay & L. Duncan, 2006) pp. 137-138
Language
Scots
Genre
Collection
Classification
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good