Albion Heart

Songs Of Departure and Return

Tall Ship

Not just songs though, tales too, arriving, leaving, the sundering of a beloved couple and their joyous reunion. One song that truly encapsulates these themes is the traditional song, John Riley. A number of records, do, of course exist, three that immediately come to mind are by The Byrds, a solo performance by Roger McGuinn and an absolutely stunning performance by Show of Hands. The lyrics to the McGuinn version can be found on the right hand side of the page, along with a link to Roger McGuinn's website and jukebox and a link to the Show of Hands version, which can be found on their official website.

The Press Gangs

In Britain, press gangs roamed the towns and countryside picking up able-bodied men and forcing them into sea duty. In many cases, the victims were drunk at the time of impressment. Wives and children were often left in the dark as to their husband's or father's whereabouts until a letter or rumor reached them. However on occasion history records that these same people actually fought back and prevented the press gangs from taling their loved ones away to sea

John Riley

Fair young maid all in her garden
Strange young man come riding by
Saying fair young maid will you marry me?
And this dear sir was her reply

Oh no dear sir I cannot marry thee
For I've a love who sails the deep salt sea
Though he's been gone for seven years
Still no man shall marry me

What if he's died all in some battle slain?
Or if he's drownded in the deep salt sea
What if he's found another love
He and his new love both married be?

Well if he's died all in some battle slain
Or if he's drownded in the deep salt sea
I'll remember his good name
And still no man shall marry me.

And if he's found some other love
He and his true love both married be
I wish them health and happiness
Where they now live all across the sea

He picked her up all in his arms
And kisses gave her one two and three
Saying weep no more my own true love
For I'm your long lost John Riley
Saying weep no more my own true love
For I'm your long lost John Riley

Roger McGuinn Arrangement

A Wreck, A Body, A Room

a very strange and dreadful tale indeed

Charlestown Shipwreck and

Heritage Centre

Charlestown,

St. Austell, Cornwall

Wrecking

an article from

Smugglers Britain:

The Ordnance Survey Guide

by Richard Platt

Wrecking On

The Heritage Coast

Our ancestors showed a keen

interest in shipwrecks along

the Westcountry coast. Passive

onlookers they were not and

on stormy nights as soon as

word spread that a ship was

likely to come ashore the

locals gathered on the beaches,

not as a rule to assist in the

saving of lives, but rather to see

what goods they could steal, and

you know what? they sometimes

even caused the wreck by shutting

off the lights that guided

the ships to safe harbour

Press Gangs

Articles From The Times of London

Relating to Press Gangs

from the late 18th and early

19th centuries

Press Gangs

Early Eighteenth-Century

Newspaper Reports

compiled by Rictor Norton

The terrible Press Gang

a remembrance from an issue

of the Liverpool Mercury dated 1913

Southwest UK Link

news and views from the

Westcountry of England

CMDDD843 (2 CD, UK, January 2004)

Sources: CD 1

Tracks 1, 10 Julie Matthews (Circuit Music)
Track 2 Phil Beer, Ashley Hutchings (Albino Music)
Track 3 Francois Villon, Phil Beer (Copyright Control)
Track 4 Ashley Hutchings, Wood (Albino Music)
Track 5 Trad. arr. Nick Jones, Ashley Hutchings, Chris While
Track 6 Chris While, Ashley Hutchings
Tracks 7a, 8 Ashley Reed
Track 7b Steve Knightley
Tracks 9, 14 Julie Matthews, Chris While (Circuit Music)
Track 11 Ashley Hutchings, Chris While (Really Wicked / Circuit Music)
Tracks 12, 17 Chris While (Circuit Music)
Track 13 Ashley Hutchings, Julie Matthews (Really Wicked / Circuit Music)
Track 15 Chris Leslie (Paternoster Music)
Track 16 Ashley Hutchings (Really Wicked); with words from William Shakespeare's play Richard II in the final verse

Sources: CD 2

Tracks 1, 5 Ashley Hutchings, Ken Nicol (Really Wicked / Kenneth Stephen Nicol)
Tracks 2, 11 Joe Broughton (Copyright Control)
Track 3 John Tams (Copyright Control)
Track 4 Ashley Hutchings, Joe Broughton (Really Wicked / Copyright Control)
Track 6 Ashley Hutchings, Ken Nicol (Albino Music / Kenneth Stephen Nicol)
Track 7 Richard Thompson
Track 8 Ken Nicol (Copyright Control)
Track 9 Ashley Hutchings, Gillie Nicholls (Albino Music / Copyright Control)
Track 10 Gillie Nicholls (Copyright Control)
Track 12 Ashley Hutchings, Gillie Nicholls, Ken Nicol (Albino Music / Copyright Control)
Track 13 Joe Broughton, Ashley Hutchings, Kellie While (Copyright Control / Albino Music)
Track 14 Trad. arr. Joe Broughton (Albino Music)
Track 15 Joe Broughton, Ashley Hutchings (Albino Music)

This is a compilation of six CDs and a CD single from the HTD record label published between 1993 and 1999.

CD 1

From Captured (1994):

Ball, Anchor and Chain (4:00)
Yellow Dress (4:29)
Set Their Mouths to Twisting (2:30)
Hanging Tree (3:11)

From Acousticity (1993):

Flandyke Shore (3:35)
Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo-Jump (3:46)
Fastnet Rock / Man of War (6:02)
Fiddle on the Washboard (6:10)

From Albion Heart (1995):

Albion Heart (4:51)
Colours of Love (3:33)
Close Your Eyes (3:10)
(Composed for the TV series Ridgeriders)
Gypsy (4:54)

From Demi Paradise (1996):

Ivory Tower (3:02)
Young Man Cut Down in His Prime (4:23)
Jigs: The Switchback / The New Book / The Slippery Slope (2:57)
This Blessed Plot (5:22)
Circle Round the Sun (4:42)

CD 2

From Happy Accident (1998):

Coming Home to Me (4:07)
The Landslide (5:07)
Hearts of Coal (5:12)
Death Is Just a Dream #1 (4:25)
Death Is Just a Dream #2 (5:16)

From the single Wings (1998):

Wings (4:26)
Shine on Love (3:29)
Ken's Hornpipes (5:06)

From Before Us Stands Yesterday (1999):

The Potter's Dream (5:02)
Listen to the Wind (4:25)
Bedtime at Bryn Rhodyn (5:30)
Welcome to the World (5:19)

From Christmas Album (1999):

Mistletoe, Mistletoe (3:44)
As Joseph Was A-Walking (2:51)
The Star (4:07)

The Albion Chronicles Website is

From Captured (1994):

From Acousticity (1993):

From Albion Heart (1995):

From Demi Paradise (1996):

From Happy Accident (1998):

From the single Wings (1998):

From Before Us Stands Yesterday (1999):

From Christmas Album (1999):