Farewell To The Creeks

jig

Key signature: Amixolydian

Submitted on July 29th 2005 by ceolachan.

This tune has been added to 24 tunebooks.

Also known as The 51st Highland Division's Farewell To Sicily, Banks Of Sicily, The Banks Of Sicily, Farewell To Sicily, The Farewell To The Creeks March, Farewell Ye Banks Of Sicily, The Highland Division's Farewell To Sicily.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Dorney Rock by Kevin Macleod
Kist O' Gold by Dick Gaughan
Pipes, Rods 'n' Reels by Ray Sloan
Portrait Of A Scottish Jew's Harp Player by Lindsay Porteous
Ranting And Reeling: Dance Music Of The North Of England by Various Artists
Roaming Free by Colin MacLeod And Rory Sinclair

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

"Farewell to the Creeks"

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/FAR_FARE.htm

A pipe march ~ "composed by Pipe Major James ‘Pipie’ Robertson of Boyne, Banffshire, in 1915 when he was a prisoner of war in Germany. According to Norman Kennedy, the ‘Creeks’ refers to the Native-American tribe the Creek Indians and not streams."

The World War I ballad "The 51st Higland Regiment's Farewell to Sicily", also known as "Banks of Sicily", lyrics by Hamish Henderson, is based on and sung sung to the melody of the march "Farewell to the Creeks", "~ composed while he was Intelligence Officer for the Highland Division in World War II. G. W. Lockhart (in Fiddles and Folk, 1998) relates that Henderson had been viewing the smoke curling from Mt. Etna’s crater in the distance behind the Pipes and Drums of the division’s 153 Brigade, when the band launched into “Farewell to the Creeks.” “Without hindrance,” said Henderson, “the words came flowing to me.”

http://www.dickalba.demon.co.uk/songs/texts/sclynote.html

Farweill ye banks o Sicily
Fare ye weill ye valley an shaw
There's nae Jock will mourn the kyles o ye
Puir bliddy swaddies are wearie
[Aa the bricht chaumers are eerie]
Farweill ye banks o Sicily
Fare ye weill ye valley an shaw
There's nae hame can smoor the wiles o ye
Puir bliddy swaddies are wearie
[Aa the bricht chaumers are eerie]

©Hamish Henderson

Full song ~
http://www.dickalba.demon.co.uk/songs/texts/sicily.html

Other dots for it ~
http://www.pipefest.com/Music/farewelltothecreeks.htm

# Posted on July 29th 2005 by ceolachan

Here's another setting
K:Amix
L:1/8
M:6/8
|e|:ecB ABA|{c}def e2e|ecB ABA|edc B2e|
ecB ABA|{c}def e2A|c2e edc|1BGB A2e:|2BGB A3||
:{B}cBA def|e2c cBA|{c}def e2A|edc B2e|
{B}cBA def|e2c cBA|{B}c2e edc|BGB A3:||
a2e {f}g2a|e2c cBA|def e2A|edc B2e|
a2e {f}g2a|e2c cBA|c2e edc|BGB A2e:||

# Posted on July 29th 2005 by dafydd

51st Highland Division ~ God bless them...

http://www.1914-1918.net/

http://www.1914-1918.net/51div.htm

# Posted on July 29th 2005 by ceolachan

The Creek Nation

44,000 Native Americans were members of the U.S. military forces fighting in World War II and more than 12,000 fought in World War I...

# Posted on July 29th 2005 by ceolachan

Not sure about that.............

I would normally hesitate to argue with Norman about anything, but I think he’s wrong in this case, “ceolachan”.
From the website of the North-East Folklore Archive [ located in Mintlaw, some 40 miles up the road from Aberdeen ]:

“Farewell To The Creeks” - by Pipe Major James Robertson of the Gordon Highlanders. Robertson composed the tune in 1919, after his release from a German prisoner of war camp, in memory of the creeks of Portsoy where he enjoyed his boyhood adventures.

That also agrees with a discussion I heard last year about James Robertson on Radio Scotland’s “Pipelines” programme. Seems much more likely, don’t you think ?

# Posted on July 30th 2005 by Kenny

That makes a lot more sense to me ~

I had my doubts and considered emailing you and a couple of othes first. Thanks for making better sense than the other tale on it. I did a search and hadn't found anything else on it but the 'doubt' loomed large, the title being a good start for the doubt. I wish I had 'access' to better sources immediately at hand...

Thanks Kenny... I hope my slant on the tune isn't too far off base... If you have another way with it please contribute it. 'Balance' is better achieved with 'choice'...

# Posted on July 30th 2005 by ceolachan

'Creeks', meaning streams, rivulets, is the sort of thing I would dedicate a tune to in his situation...

# Posted on July 30th 2005 by ceolachan

Norman Kennedy ~ a short respect

Hailing originally from Aberdeen and influenced through contact by many great Scottish singers he is known for his way with Scotland's songs and unaccompanied singing traditions as well as his storytelling, puirt a beul/mouth music, and weaving... Having lived in the U.S.A. for some years this may have influenced his interpretation of 'Creeks' as referring to the 'Creek Nation'...

An extensive discography of the man, Topic, Greentrax, etc., can be found doing a search online. Here are just a few things currently available on CD:

"Norman Kennedy: Live in Scotland"
The Tradition Bearers LTCD2002
He returned for a short tour of Scotland in 1996 and this CD is a compilation from three concerts given in Aberdeen and recorded by Tom Spiers.

"The Musical Traditions" review:
http://www.mustrad.org.uk/
http://www.mustrad.org.uk/reviews/kennedy.htm

"The Living Tradition" review:
http://www.folkmusic.net/
http://www.folkmusic.net/htmfiles/webrevs/ltcd2002.htm

"Norman Kennedy: I Little Thocht My Love Wid Leave Me"
Springthyme Records #AH001, 2004
A recording of a concert in 1999 - 'The Folk Song Society of Greater Boston'.

"Norman Kennedy: Ballads and Songs of Scotland"
Folk-Legacy FSS 34, 1968

Here are some other relevant and interesting links to the man ~
http://www.thetraditionbearers.com/
http://www.thetraditionbearers.com/htmfiles/peoplepage_010_normankennedy.htm
http://www.nea.gov/
http://www.nea.gov/honors/
http://www.nea.gov/honors/heritage/Heritage03/Kennedy.html
Further, and at the loom, spinning, dyeing, weaving:
http://www.leopardmag.co.uk/feats/39/norman-kennedy
http://members.cruzio.com/~jenster/page2.html

# Posted on July 30th 2005 by ceolachan

Wasn't the Sicily campaign in WW II rather than the Great War?

# Posted on April 10th 2009 by Ebor_fiddler