Peregrinations: The Battlefield Band and "Tramps and Hawkers"

The Battlefield Band brings us the random tune for the day. The Battlefield Band is a Scottish traditional music group founded in 1969. They are noted for the mix of bagpipes with other instruments, and their renditions of traditional songs and new material. While the band has gone through several lineups, their formula remains the same - bagpipes, electric keyboards (unusual for a traditional band) and no percussion (again, unusual). They have released 31 albums and have been nominated for many awards. This song, Tramps and Hawkers, can be found on their 1997 live performance CD Across the Borders - though this version comes from another live performance recording. The song is from Scotland and dates before 1850. It was first made famous by Ewan MacColl - and has been recorded by a number of other musicians since including The Dubliners. There are also a number of other songs that use the same tune, including Shane MacGowan's Song with No Name.