3 Pints Gone ~ "So Far From Home" ~ 2009 Camelot Days

Three Pints Gone perform "So Far From Home", a song in memory of the Ninth Roman Legion at Hadrian's Wall. Featuring Bill Masino (lead vocals), Kathleen Masino (tamoborine, vocals) and Jesse Linder (guitar, vocals). Filmed live on November 15, 2009 at the Camelot Days Medieval Festival, Topeekeegee Yugnee Park in Hollywood, Florida.

for more great music check out:

3pintsgone.com
and
oldtimetim.com

This song, officially known as "The Marching Song of the Ghosts of the Ninth Legion" (aka "So Far From Home") was composed by Tim Brooks (aka Old Time Tim) in 1977. It is based on a Yorkshire ghost story and was supposedly inspired while observing a Roman Legion re-enactment march at Hadrian's Wall for a documentary film.

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Tim Brooks comments on his website (oldtimetim.com) about this song:

"There have been many stories describing the fate of the Ninth Legion and many more describing ghostly sightings of Roman Soldiers in and around York. This song describes an imagined moorland encounter.

Of course, if it wasn't for the title, the sentiments of the song could apply to any occupying force, which lends the song a broader significance.

This song has taken on a life of its own having been recorded by Jim Mageean and Johnny Collins and it even appears as the acapella accompaniment to a Border Morris dance "Richard's Castle" . I have yet to see the dance!

The idea for the song had been knocking around in my head for some time, but the final connection was made after hearing the Boys of the Lough version of "The Pikeman's March". This gave me the mood that I was trying to create, and those familiar with this tune will hear that it is not very different from the song melody that developed. I have in the past paired the two, singing the song first then following it with a couple of turns of the march. "

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Lyrics to "So Far From Home":

As I walked out, one winter's morning early,
A mist hung in the valley; I'd not thought to tarry long,
When the cheery birds fell silent and I felt the cold about me,
And I heard the sound of voices raised in mournful marching song...

(chorus):
So far from home and every man's an enemy,
So far from home and little chance of leave,
So far from home, no pretty wife to comfort me,
So pity us poor soldiers, we've cause enough to grieve.

And as I stood, a horse and armoured rider
Came walking at the vanguard of a line of trudging men.
Bright feathers in their helmets shadowed faces dark and cloudy,
There never was a sadder sight than passed before me then.....

(chorus)

No sound there came, from horse's hoof or bridle,
No sound from the armour or the weapons that they wore.
Only their voices, lifted up in singing,
Broke that morning's silence as they marched across the moor.....

(chorus)

Category:

Music

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