Album review: V/A - Far, Far From Ypres

VARIOUS

Far, Far From Ypres

****

Greentrax CDTRAX1418, £13.99

This labour of love and respect organised by Greentrax boss Ian Green and his wife brings a double CD of more than 50 tracks of song, spoken word and pipe music all originating in, or derived from, the colossal calamity of the Great War. CD1 has the 'Scottish Pals' singers and musicians collective, who run through dozens of soldiers' trench songs and music hall pieces to powerful, understated effect, while the less successful CD2 has tracks already extant on albums by the likes of Eric Bogle, the Corries, Jim Malcolm and Malinky, with a Gaelic contribution by Donny MacLeod. The stand-out track is an original, a cappella-over-drones song by emerging Scots writer Steven Palmer.

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