Various Artists
Album: Far, Far From Ypres: Songs, Poems And Music Of World War One
Label: Greentrax
Tracks: 2CD
Website: http://www.greentrax.com

This beautifully coordinated two-disc set, which originally came out in 2008, is here given a well-deserved re-promotion in view of the impending commemorative activities. Whatever one's personal view on the latter, this release still forms a fitting and entirely welcome, tribute to all the soldiers who fought and suffered together in the "Great War" and in particular all those who died. It also has a distinct Scottish perspective, which is only fair and appropriate when you consider that Scotland suffered the most soldiers killed per head of population. Actually, I'd consider the set one of the finest of the similarly themed collections ever to have been produced - and yes, I know this is a very crowded market.

One of the great things about the set is its sheer variety of tone and content. It encompasses the whole gamut of emotion that such a life-changing experience as a major war can inflict on man: poignant homage, sober reflection, pointed and caustic commentary, grim and dark humour, and so forth. We're presented with laments both military and civilian, soldiers' songs from the trenches, pipe tunes associated with the regiments, music-hall songs, and modern-day songs written in commemoration of specific people, places or events or else having a strong WWI resonance or connection (absolutely nothing remotely tenuous here). And all performed without a trace of undue sentimentality or mawkishness, and assembled into a powerful and credible sequence across the two hours or so of music on this pair of discs.

A good many of the recordings collected herein have been made specially for the set too, notably the extensive sequence of 27 trench songs and five music-hall songs which together makes up the bulk of Disc 1: these are sung with feeling and passionate dedication by the "Scottish Pals" Singers company (assembled just for this project, and consisting of Ian Bruce, Fiona Forbes, Stephen Quigg, Nick Keir, Ian McCalman, Tich Frier and Hamish Bayne), individually and collectively. I've so often viewed much of this material as misplaced jingoism and found it really uncomfortable to listen to, but the performances on this set have gone a long way towards rehabilitating it for me (in some measure), so persuasively is the whole exercise carried out and so credibly is it put into due perspective. Disc 1 ends with a vintage Harry Lauder recording, followed poignantly by two instrumental reflections of the fatal outcome of soldiery, Flowers Of The Forest and The Last Post. After which, Disc 2 then takes us from the second of two brief poems (readings by Iain Anderson) through a sequence of modern-day commemorative songs. These include tracks licensed from existing releases: perhaps predictably (but reasonably enough), there's The Corries' rendition of Green Fields Of France, Dick Gaughan's Why Old Men Cry, Eric Bogle's Band Played Waltzing Matilda and As If He Knows, The McCalmans' spirited treatment of Judy Small's Mothers, Daughters, Wives… But the cuts from Malinky, Jim Malcolm, Sheena Wellington & Karine Polwart (Hallowe'en) and Alan Bell are no less welcome. The real gems of this disc, however, come with the recordings made specially for the project, standouts among these being Gaelic singer Donnie M. MacLeod's acappella singing of Donald MacDonald's epic war memoir An Eala Bhan (The White Swan) and (new to me back in 2008) young songwriter Steven Palmer's chilling composition Black Is The Sun - these are worth the price of the set on their own! Also newly recorded for this release are tracks by Robin Laing (Geordie McCrae) and The McCalmans (Only Remembered).

All of which actually adds up (especially Disc 2) to a remarkably intense and emotional listening experience for anyone with a shred of humanity and conscience left in their soul - whatever his or her views on the wider issues of war, its principles and its celebration. And presentation-wise, Greentrax have excelled even their own lavish standards, for sleeve notes are supremely informative, discographical and other details are copious, and the artwork is attractive, sensitive and wholly complementary. This release was, and still is, a landmark in its field, and one that even now, five years on, is not likely to be bettered.

David Kidman