Thanks for posting this. My father landed in Sicily during WWII. He was one of the lucky glider troopers who did not land in the sea. However, he had to fight. The troops were glad to get out of Sicily, as the song indicates.
I just heard this song a few minutes ago, on Iain Anderson's programme on BBC Radio Scotland. It reminded me of my friend Jim Fraser from Glasgow who had been Monty's tank driver across the North African desert, then landed in Sicily, then fought his way all the way up through the Italian mainland to Trieste. He was proud to be a "D-Day Dodger", knowing that what they achieved was as important as what had been achieved in Normandy. Thank you to the McCalmans.
Enjoyed this remember seeing over the years at our local folk clubs late 60's-70's Also were popular over on Arran at the Folk Festivsl ........... Most enjoyable Thanks Jean
"Aa the bricht chaumers are eerie" is the line, I remember my grandfather singing it and we come from the north of Scotland. A chaumer was a cabin usually used my forestry workers and farm labourers where they slept as opposed to a bothy where they eat and socialised.
@@alexbowman7582 Chamber would be correct in translation. It is pronounced chu'mer phonetically. I remember seeing one as a child. I would like to try living in one.
Well done Cheerydavie i have searched for this. By far the best version of this great songmore power to your elbow mate. Thanks for all your great posts.
Not sure if anybody will read this. I plan to go to Scilly and trace where my father Bill Hutchison landed with the Division. Then I will follow the battlefields from Normandy to Bremerhaven. Finally I will go to to the battlefields of North Africa. Then I will write a book to celebrate this division which was second to none.
please reserve a copy for me.....often the forgotten division....i have often travelled through Europe...but not yet Italy...one day soon...hopefully...with kilt and pipes....the Jocks are well remembered where ever you go....
@@ianduncan7189 My dad was an RAF Warrant Officer forward air controller up through Italy (as close to the tank in front of him as he could get). Spotting for 250Sqn Kittyhawk fighter bombers. So, he too was a D-Day Dodger. So this song resonates with me.
Hope you enjoyed the McCalmans "Fare-weel tae Sicily" written by by Captain Hamish Henderson my Dad was in Burma my Father-in-law was in Italy Anzio Sangro Naples and Casino
@joehughes9 I'm sure its Brick Charmers since I remember we were talking about this when I was back in Elementary. I remember my teacher saying he went to their concert so I guess it should be Brick Charmers. But, I can't be sure.
Another take on what it could possibly be but "chaumers" in this song probably simply means just the more widespread and general Scots usage of 'chambers' as in rooms!
Good version of one of the finest songs about war ever written, but not a patch on Gaughan's definitive reading. I've always taken 'brick chaumers' to mean the cliffs, stacks, rocks and mountains of Sicily that towered over the departing soldiers as they boarded the transports, but that's my reading and perhaps not a literal one.
"The sky owre Messina is unco and grey, and a' the bricht chaumers are eerie" In standard English this would read something like - "The sky over Messina is unfamiliar and grey, and all the bright chambers (ie rooms) are strange". That is they are normally bright but not now! Brick charmers doesn't make any kind of sense!
Why did the McCalmans sing "where kind signoritas were cheerie" when Sicily is part of Italy, not Spain? The original words by Hamish Henderson are "whaur kind signorinas were cheerie".
Thanks for posting this. My father landed in Sicily during WWII. He was one of the lucky glider troopers who did not land in the sea. However, he had to fight. The troops were glad to get out of Sicily, as the song indicates.
I just heard this song a few minutes ago, on Iain Anderson's programme on BBC Radio Scotland. It reminded me of my friend Jim Fraser from Glasgow who had been Monty's tank driver across the North African desert, then landed in Sicily, then fought his way all the way up through the Italian mainland to Trieste. He was proud to be a "D-Day Dodger", knowing that what they achieved was as important as what had been achieved in Normandy. Thank you to the McCalmans.
Fine song, well sung. Thank you.
Haunting song by the McCalmans...just stumbled across it today...hadn't heard it for years.
Hi Tom glad you came to my channel and I very flattred that that you enjoyed the McCalmans
Enjoyed this remember seeing over the years at our local folk clubs late 60's-70's
Also were popular over on Arran at the Folk Festivsl ...........
Most enjoyable
Thanks Jean
"Aa the bricht chaumers are eerie" is the line, I remember my grandfather singing it and we come from the north of Scotland. A chaumer was a cabin usually used my forestry workers and farm labourers where they slept as opposed to a bothy where they eat and socialised.
A more accurate translation is chamber. I can understand much of this song but it’s very Doric.
@@alexbowman7582 Chamber would be correct in translation. It is pronounced chu'mer phonetically. I remember seeing one as a child. I would like to try living in one.
Well done Cheerydavie i have searched for this. By far the best version of this great songmore power to your elbow mate. Thanks for all your great posts.
Bob Dylan admits this tune was an influence on his Times they are a'changing. You can hear it !
Not sure if anybody will read this. I plan to go to Scilly and trace where my father Bill Hutchison landed with the Division. Then I will follow the battlefields from Normandy to Bremerhaven. Finally I will go to to the battlefields of North Africa. Then I will write a book to celebrate this division which was second to none.
please reserve a copy for me.....often the forgotten division....i have often travelled through Europe...but not yet Italy...one day soon...hopefully...with kilt and pipes....the Jocks are well remembered where ever you go....
@@ianduncan7189 My dad was an RAF Warrant Officer forward air controller up through Italy (as close to the tank in front of him as he could get). Spotting for 250Sqn Kittyhawk fighter bombers. So, he too was a D-Day Dodger. So this song resonates with me.
Cheers cheery davie only heard this before as a pipe tune ma auld fella was in burma anzio cassino and rome finished up in lubeck germany in may 1945
The tune is "Farewell to the creeks", a bagpipe tune written by P/M J. Robertson. Really nice!
The auld fella was wi the royal engineers in sicily I was in messina in2013 and thought of what him and his mates must have gone through
Hope you enjoyed the McCalmans "Fare-weel tae Sicily" written by by Captain Hamish Henderson my Dad was in Burma my Father-in-law was in Italy Anzio Sangro Naples and Casino
Nice to hear that you enjoyed the song thanks for the kind commet
@joehughes9 I'm sure its Brick Charmers since I remember we were talking about this when I was back in Elementary. I remember my teacher saying he went to their concert so I guess it should be Brick Charmers. But, I can't be sure.
Hello again your correct "Farewell to the creeks" by P/M J. Robertson thanks for giving my channel a viewing
@heliodor001 let's not forget any of them
Caberfae Here is to the 51 Highland Division.
Another take on what it could possibly be but "chaumers" in this song probably simply means just the more widespread and general Scots usage of 'chambers' as in rooms!
Good version of one of the finest songs about war ever written, but not a patch on Gaughan's definitive reading. I've always taken 'brick chaumers' to mean the cliffs, stacks, rocks and mountains of Sicily that towered over the departing soldiers as they boarded the transports, but that's my reading and perhaps not a literal one.
My names Sicily!!!! =D
"The sky owre Messina is unco and grey, and a' the bricht chaumers are eerie" In standard English this would read something like - "The sky over Messina is unfamiliar and grey, and all the bright chambers (ie rooms) are strange". That is they are normally bright but not now! Brick charmers doesn't make any kind of sense!
Why did the McCalmans sing "where kind signoritas were cheerie" when Sicily is part of Italy, not Spain? The original words by Hamish Henderson are "whaur kind signorinas were cheerie".
As Dr Johnson said to ask him why he had misdefined a word in his great sictionary:
Also a possibility; I was only speaking from my personal experiences in my own part of Scotland. :)
Good to hear this song with the original lyrics. My dad was wounded in Italy.... but he blamed that on the Germans. He loved italy.
"I'm sure its Brick Charmers" You might be sure but it isn't. As joehughes says it is "bricht chaumers" translated as "bright chambers".