Search - Various Artists :: Over The Hills & Far Away: The Music of Sharpe

A fabulous companion to the Sharpe's series

Adrianna Pita | Washington, DC United States | 05/31/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A stirring and beautiful soundtrack, "Over the Hills" employs two particularly talented folksingers, Kate Rusby and John Tams in authentically recreating the music of the Napoleonic era. (Tams' voice will be familiar to fans of the Sharpe movie series as that of Rifleman Dan Hagman.)I'm fond of putting this CD on in the background while reading Bernard Cornwell's novels, but it stands quite solidly on its own - a real treat for musical history buffs and casual Sharpe fans alike."

Tams' Vocals Are Superb in this Napoleonic Wars Tribute

Jessie Riggs | Caledonia, MS USA | 12/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Owning the 'Sharpe' DVD set gave me so much exposure to John Tams' wonderful voice that I had to get this CD. Some reviewers complained of excessive instrumentation on his songs on this album, but I was not put off by the arrangements at all. Granted, one selection, 'Over the Hills and Far Away', could have been ramped back a bit to just a guitar, fiddle and maybe a drum. In other words, dont expect Tams to be as raw and boisterous as Rifleman Hagman marching through the Spanish hills.



I would consider this CD as the rough equivilant to 'Liberty', a Mark O'Conner effort for the PBS show by the same name on the American Revolution. Other CD's in the same vein are 'More Songs and Music from 'Gettysburg'', or 'Songs of the Civil War', from the Ken Burns series. All these CD's had a mixture of vocal and band music inspired by their respective era. 'Over the Hills' has a good mix of tunes representing the English side of the Napoleonic Wars including several selections the current military Band and Bugles of the Light Division, a direct descendent of Sharpe's 95th Rifle Regiment. I'm a sucker for military band music, so I thought they were great.



The only down side I have with the CD is the instrumental soundtrack cuts from the TV show that take up space between the songs. As a collector of soundtracks, I would have returned this CD if that were all it contained, as they are unremarkable background music.



Lastly, I must comment on what I consider the gem of the albumn, a short song named 'Love Farewell'. Tams' heart-rending vocals and wonderful arrangement speak of everyone who has ever left - or been left - to go off to the wars. Roger Wilson's fiddle playing on this song and the others is excellent as well.



If you like the Sharpe series or military/folk music in any form then this is an album to add to your collection."

A beautiful collection of traditional songs

Mockingbird | Orleans County, Upstate New York | 09/03/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"From the first time I watched "Sharpe's Rifles" the voice of John Tams stood out as one of the best voices I have ever heard for traditional music. His voice is hauntingly beautiful, and at it's best with minimal instrumentation. This album delivers John Tams' voice at it's (almost) best, something I didn't find on his CDs "Home" and "Unity", however it is marred by the use of too many instruments. The songs are all beautiful and well done, but if you're looking for the sparse and amazing style exhibited in the movies, you won't find it here. Also, The marches I find almost grating(after I bought the CD I burned it without the marches). This CD also features the voice of Kate Rusby, another talented singer.



Even with the negatives I gave this CD 4 stars, because it is so enjoyable to listen to!! I reccomend it to anyone who likes Sharpe's or traditional music. It is definetely worth the money!!"