The Heights of Alma
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1966.45.A6
Original Tape ID
Summary
In this ballad, a soldier describes arriving at the River Alma to fight the Russians. The battle is hard, and ends in hand-to-hand combat. The Russians eventually turn and flee to Sebastopol. The singer praises the joint military efforts of France and Britain.
Ethel Findlater learned the tune for the song about fifty years ago from an old local woman named Maggie [Merriman?]. Ethel later got the words from a young boy.
Item Notes
Sung in unison. This song commemorates the victory of the British Army at the Battle of the Alma on the 20th September 1854. The battle was one of the first engagements of the Crimean War.
See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 1, p. 387, no. 158
'Flying Cloud' (M. C. Dean, 1922) pp. 40-41
'Vagabond Songs & Ballads' vol. 2 (R. Ford, 1901) pp. 73-76
Murray Collection (Broadsides), Glasgow University Library, mu23-y1:116
National Library of Scotland, Broadside Ballad collection, RB.m.143 (159)
Language
Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good