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  1. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by NashTnGuy View Post
    I am pretty sure the story of the author's conversion from slave ship captain to anti-slavery beliefs was the reason the song was chosen. Mr. Beck has referred to that story several times.

    Anyway I just thought some of y'all might like to see the video
    I actually didn't know that history until you guys brought it up in this thread...it puts the song in a whole new light.

    Doesn't mean I'm any more likely to play it, though...my favorites run to things like Black Bear, Mrs. John MacColl, Scots Guards Farewell to Sharjah, Colonel Robertson, 79th Farewell to Gibraltar, Black Watch at Al Basrah...

    ...tunes to which the American public, in general, has absolutely no connection. In addition to having a powerful back story, the song has been adopted by churches left and right. I have no idea if they are aware of the history...maybe yes, maybe no. What remains is that AG is a recognizable, powerful, and memorable tune capable of bringing together a large segment of the Western population, religious or not.

    Thinking it over a little more, it probably was the best choice. It is relatively apolitical, the back story is a powerful one and resonates with American history, it is widely known in religious circles and many more conservative minds in America are also religious, it is not aggressive, and at worst is bittersweetly uplifting...not a bad song for the moment. I can think of other tunes that would've been more appropriate in my mind, but all would've been a curiosity to the audience, as opposed to the powerful union that resulted from a pipe band in full dress playing AG.

    If anything, I'm really only bummed that people don't recognize other tunes. Other than that, if I'm griping, it's just to be nitpicky.

    *edit* Oh yeah. Forgot to bring up this point. Listen to this set...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlvcGZgA0yw

    Or this one...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIg6sk0Pscw

    And compare the emotion in those song to AG. If they'd played this set, the crowd might've been more likely to stroll over to the Capitol building and clean house ...and then throw a party. They needed AG...

    The GHB was designed to play "the big music". I wish instead that "The Desperate Battle" was what came to mind when people thought "bagpipe music"...
    Made my day

    Here it is, BTW...
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiwKQQAXYuM

    -Sean
    Last edited by wildrover; 2nd September 10 at 09:54 AM.

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