Bonaparte's Retreat - Aly Bain

Aly Bain - Fiddle
Jerry Douglas - Dobro
Danny Thompson - Bass
Tommy Hayes - Percussion
Michael Doucet - Fiddle
Russ barenberg - Guitar
Donald Shaw - piano

[@hamrzlawnlake]

How do these guys not break into tears to be in that room together, and play something so sweet.

[@jeanlloydbradberry9099]

One of the most beautiful fiddle performances ever heard! The Flight of the Eagles (Napoleon's flags turned and flew, and suddenly, the men knew that they would live to return home, and like a miracle from the Old Testament, would, God willing, see their families once again! What joy!)

[@DrummerBoyJason]

Such effortless fiddle playing. The ability to play with such rhythm, power, and grace in the slower airs is the mark of a master.

[@noracurran2762]

Yes it takes me to another planet

[@niallmac44]

This has me remembering visiting Glasgow in 1969 and playing bodhran in the Old Scotia Bar and thinking this was a damn good fiddle player I was playing with. Aly Bain.

[@priscillajensen8222]

wow . . . you were right

[@izzythedram]

I remember the Old Scotia from those days.

[@Anthony-ck2dc]

My pap used to play this tune on a banjo clawhammer style 55 years ago....he called it"milking the strings" He was born in 1895.....It's good to hear this old tune again....thank you kindly...GOD BLESS YOU ALL

[@12marigold]

He plays so beautifully and seems so humble about his playing.

[@jackmccully2944]

I never liked the sound of the fiddle when I was young, but this sends shivers of pleasure down my spine. Just shows how your musical tastes can mature when you are 75.

[@1LSWilliam]

Or even earlier!

[@janeshears413]

Depends who is playing it of course! 😜

[@AikiFuz]

I’ve been playing for almost 5 years, and I don’t always like the sound either. 😉

[@t24hy44]

@@AikiFuz My sister played the violin, though it sounded more like a badly wounded animal; the dogs and cats throughout my neighborhood raised a ruckus whenever she started to play. 😵‍💫

[@AikiFuz]

@@t24hy44 Luckily my family has never minded. It actually makes the dog curl up in her bed in that room and fall deeply asleep, since she's a rescue and what she wants most (after food) is to know exactly where I am. =)

[@tdbsnr]

Aly Bain at his best, radiates dignity, humility, dedicates his life to the music & young musicians coming through.

[@mark4320]

Speaks volumes, a library would be challenged to find space to preserve what he and Michael express in this song. Phenomenal.

[@ADonovan43]

My father liked this melody, I have heard him play this on the piano and the violin.When he would go to the tavern to have a few beers ,he would sit down at the Piano and he would play Bonapartes Retreat first ,just to warm up his fingers.At the sound of last call for alcohol my father would play Danny Boy and every one in the taveren would join in by singing.they would also take one of the mugs of beer that sat on the top of the piano bought for my Dad by the bars patrons.Take care Adonovan43

[@tomtscotland]

Emotional interpretation is more important than technical brilliance. Aly's first few "simple" notes in this tune reaches a place in your soul.

[@singinsisters1108]

If you want to reply to a comment, there is a section so you can reply to them, except they’ll know if your talking to them

[@cottonpatch2000]

Aye. It's bonnie

[@michaelparker8005]

the most soulful rendition I've ever heard

[@kinkle_Z]

Aly Bain rocks. So glad this series was made! I play this fiddle tune too.

[@aprilwino]

Absolutely beautiful rendition...These melodies are the source of Amrerican Folk & Southern Soul music.

[@TheRgvbirdman]

Takes me back to high school days when I first heard it. a beautiful rendition. Aly Bain is sensational.

[@maureenarmstrong2307]

Saw Aly play live many times, along with Phil Cunningham.. Brilliant.. Used to be a Folk Club in Dumfries.. One night, Aly got shall we say.. Very MERRY.. He ended up sitting on the floor, leaning on the wall, still playing.. Alsolutely tremendous.

[@jugglerj0e]

Amazing! This traditional piece is what inspired composer Aaron Copland to write his western classical piece called "Hoedown" for orchestra. This is such a beautiful song. Great Playing

[@GEORGEROV]

Aly did a version with Phil Cunningham on accordion on the dvd 'Another Musical Interlude ' and that surpasses any other version I've heard . Mind blowing !.

[@buniluvr]

Loved seeing ALL of you playing together. You all radiate the spirit of this beautiful music. TONS of stars to you ALL! cheers

[@MrThedoog84]

Just met aly Bain in Galway tonight, what a genuinely nice man!

[@tdbsnr]

What an absolutely gorgeous track, Aly Bain & the lads at their best! Forget Yehudi Menuhen, Aly's the main man. I hope I get to see him live before he (or I) die.

[@rtp8844]

That is old time for the 21st century. Beautiful.

[@stevepaulmarlow]

Absolute ace playing by all of the band. Great fiddling Aly. ☺

[@RUuser]

I was lucky enough to see Aly Bain with the Boys of the Lough around 1980. He's done much to get great music out.

[@texasred251]

It takes this old steel guitar player back to My Old Kentucky Home.

[@pjr7754]

My Scottish husband's favorite song.....played at his funeral. Thanks Aly.

[@joline2730]

This is not a song !!! No words. 🤔

[@smck001]

Every note screams Aly Bain. Genius.

[@TheZwieblekopf]

Danny Thompson is GREEAAAT!!!! That is why he is there.

[@dagda54]

Great stuff-- had forgotten how much I like Aly Bain's style! Thanks for posting!

[@jeanm6707]

Michael Doucet representing La Louisiane!!! Hell yeah!!!

[@WoodenYouKnowIt]

@Dunbardoddy I know exactly what you're saying. so many kinds of music are the result of a blending of some very RICH cultures too. But, being a guitar player here in Tennessee, I can tell you that every bluegrass musician that I know absolutely loves this style of music right here as well. When I sit in a jam session with some of these folks, most of the music is, like you said, faster paced, but if someone starts to play this style, everyone will jump right in and make some beautiful music.

[@PKImagePhotography]

The beauty and ease of Aly Bains fiddle....

[@Bengiskahn]

And Shetland, from whence Mr Bain hails, remains as Nordic as Scottish. The identity of any people comes from history, community and shared experience, not political nations. music has always been a means of sharing this.

[@lennart2089]

yes, very scandinavian sounding, Shetland is a mixture of heritage.

[@cottonpatch2000]

will listen to those fiddles play all day

[@MuchoSuavo]

One of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.

[@aprilwino]

So much of the rural south was settled by Scots-Irish immigrants that it's no wonder where our Bluegrass and Americana roots music came from.........it's right here in front of you.

[@leeleeturn]

gorgeous, exquisite, thanks for this beauty

[@gavinkilty108]

Violin playing at its most beautiful

[@Beshimi]

the note Aly plays at 2:12 is haunting. thank you for sharing this.

[@MartinJames389]

The bitter retreat from Moscow, through a land burnt and ravaged to deny them food, of the starving remnants of Napoleon Bonaparte's Grande Armée in 1812. It was less than half French, the rest recruited from many places. The biggest element was the expelled Gaelic clans of Ireland (romanticised as "The Wild Geese"), with Scots, Germans and Poles also prominent. Of around 685,000 who invaded (thought to be the biggest army ever assembled up to that time), less than 100,000 survived.

[@althesmith]

I think the German and Austrian elements far outnumbered the Scots in Boney's army. Read the excellent work 1812 by Paul Austin. In any case, by the halfway mark of the campaign, both the Prussian and Austrian commanders knew they would be facing disaster and made their own arrangements with the Russians to gracefully back away from Russia.

[@helenchappell6502]

The moral, which Hitler didn't learn,was never open a second front.

[@cottonpatch2000]

Bravo @Martin James. Thank you

[@UISTMAN59]

@@helenchappell6502 WE;re all mighty glad he didn't learn that lesson :-)

[@sinuhe0171]

After Great Retreat the Poland loss their freedom until 1918. W ith Napoleon went 100 thousands of polish officers and soldiers, although they fought with bravery, more than half lost their lives in Russian snows. There is superb film The Duelist from 1977, describing the very times of honour.

[@cottonpatch2000]

I always find it great how Willie Nelson introduced me to old time folk music. Thanks, Willie for making Red Headed Stranger

[@Tom-ys5ik]

Simply beautiful

[@GladysWils]

Beautiful!! Lovely to fiddle along with...

[@debbyrd]

I can't get enough of this.

[@nmfiddler1]

Beeyouteefull Aly. I sure miss you guys. It's hell to get old and not get around like I used to. Keep up the good work.

[@tejaspics]

Goosebumps.

[@athole1954]

out of this world aly at his best

[@dogmom240]

Reading the book 'The Bald Eagle' where this song is mentioned. Had to look it up and listen, very nicely done. The book is on the journey of our national bird.

[@fakehorse2818]

That's so beautiful

[@lindafields4613]

Wonderful heart and soul played here. Thank you.

[@yesmhm69]

2022 here! beautiful

[@lindafox7822]

That’s awesome. I used to listen to this tune as a little girl. It’s so pretty the.way y’all play it. Thank you.

[@tomtscotland]

Totally agree - I must get to see Aly one day - his playing has great tone and clarity.

[@kinkle_Z]

So fucking beautiful it's almost unbearable. Been trying to play this on fiddle for 20 years (started playing it on frailing banjo in 1966) and I still can't get there...but at least we have this. the way this tune should be played... Losing, retreating, moving forward...the pain, the beauty, the understanding, the dignity. Aly Bain has NAILED it!

[@GwenHolt]

If you're not a writer, you should be.

i always felt this dirge like version captured the mood of a retreating army better than the upbeat versions i also like.

[@mactcampbell]

Interesting that you mention Jean Carignan. I spent 5 hrs. at a wedding in Cape Breton with his piano player, Gilles Lozier this summer. Lozier is also an excellent fiddler. I always regreted not meeting Carignan in person and playing with Lozier that night made me regret it even more. He was extremely talented.

[@franksabatino7576]

An intriguing, soulful version of a wonderful old tune.

[@WoodenYouKnowIt]

You can certainly see how this type of Scottish music helped form the roots of American Bluegrass. If you'd simply step up the pace, improvise the lead with a breakdown, you'd have it. It's not a far stretch at all. I love THIS!

[@NZCountryMusic]

Lovely Instrumental - Enjoyed

[@tomtscotland]

Thanks - I'll need to check-out Chieftain's version - I can't find on KZbin. Whilst I've uploaded many videos - this is definately one of my favourites - when Aly B cuts in with the fiddle it's a hair standing on end momeent!

[@robinhood48]

They play and we break into tears!

[@fredkoning]

Beautiful rendition, love it!

[@treeandjack]

This song is known as "The Grooms' Tune" in my area. It was the last song played by my Gr. Grandfather before being shot in Chattalooche N.C., during the Civil War. I've always heard the story, but never heard the song--Until now..totally beautiful guys. I cried. God bless you.

[@saram4271]

A sweet, sweet tune played by some of the great masters. Thanks for posting it.

[@scottrichard2735]

It’s addicting listening to him, always leaves one in a state of awe🥰 If I may ask, when did you became a fan?

[@saram4271]

@@scottrichard2735 Hmmmm....probably way back when he was with The Boys of the Lough, early on when I first started visiting England and Scotland in the 1990s. He was playing in Oban one night when I was on my way to Mull & Iona the next day. When did you first come across his music?

[@scottrichard2735]

@@saram4271 I think that was in 80s, my Mom was a great fan of his and never stop talking about how wonderful he plays. So where are you from?

[@saram4271]

@@scottrichard2735 From Ohio, but I first heard the music of Aly Bain when I lived in Canada.

[@scottrichard2735]

@@saram4271 That’s nice, sounds like you pretty much enjoyed exploring. Well, I’m from Poland but I reside here in Seattle, WA. My mom was an American from California. So what are some of the places you’ve visited?

[@FrenchieFrench1555]

Truly beautiful music.

[@lastpubrunner]

I was talking to Aly recently and he mentioned that when he was young, he wanted to play as quickly as possible. He went on to say that he felt that he had improved as a player by playing the slow airs. He said that most players, rarely make the transition from playing fast to playing slow; they just don't believe that they can 'gain' anything from playing that type of music.

[@smck001]

Nationality matters not a stuff. When your artistry has reached the heights that Ally's has you are surpassing national boundaries. Ally should be celebrated as a world musician, one whose every note is so perfectly Ally Bain that it can be no one else.

[@listentofiddlepipes]

This tune is outstanding. While listening, I can see Napoleon full of anguish as he marches his troops out of Russia in the bitter cold...

[@jasonanthony9517]

Satisfying. One can only hold so much power

[@DanPurdy1]

He abandoned his troops and set out by himself for France. Most of his army was foreigners as paid hands. The Irish who had to make their own way back to Ireland, many dead, many sick, wrote this on their way home.

[@adrianjohnson7920]

@@DanPurdy1 Thank you for this comment. You can see for free on KZbin the 1950's film "Desiree" with Marlon Brando as Napoleon. (Perfect casting) The scene is heartbreaking when Desiree's old nurse begs Napoleon -- just returned from Moscow -- to send the warm shawl she knitted to her nephew, who's in his army and perhaps already dead. It's a good film based on the excellent historical novel by the same name by Ann - Marie Selenko based on the amazing, true story of how Napoleon's jilted fiancee became the reluctant queen of Sweden. BTW The author was in WW II resistance to Hilter and the book was a deserved best seller after the war.

[@cornelis1950]

wonderful music,thanks for sharing

[@plouchartpatrick4644]

Just amazing !!

[@brujaderio]

Magnificent piece!

[@tomtscotland]

Aly was the driving force behind the Transatlantic Sessions. These followed on from a programme he made which looked at fiddler connections "across the water".

[@DanPurdy1]

Jerry Douglas also helped put those sessions together.

[@jodimw8]

so beautiful!

[@MartinJames389]

It's an Irish tune about the retreat of the Grand Armee from Moscow across Belarus, Ukraine, and Poland in 1812. Fewer than 1 in 6 survived. The Irish refugees, not the French, were the biggest element in the army.

[@DanPurdy1]

Yes, written by the Irish on the retreat.

[@AbrahamLincoln4]

@@DanPurdy1 The Irish must've fought for every army in the world. The French, the Germans, the Spanish, the British, the Americans.

[@Tygentis]

This version is on the CD, The Ruby (Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham) - Whirlie Records.

[@giordanengo1]

J'aime particulièrement cette musique qui a le mérite d'être "genuine "et d'être remarquablement interprétée ! Bravo à tous ! Je m'abonne ( of course ! )

[@Jeremyramone]

likewise, it reminds me of the beautiful things in life. cheers from san diego.

[@this0033]

It's beautiful.

[@charlie1pipes]

So So Beautiful!

[@therealtoni]

lovely

[@Azathoth43]

hauntingly beautiful. thank you for sharing this.

[@palman47]

fantastico

[@Utoober67]

Speechless.

[@nmfiddler1]

Sounding good Old friend. Keep up the good work.

[@niallmac44]

Just thinking of some time in 1969 being in the Scotia Bar in Glasgow without my bodhran. I heard this fiddle player play and had to pick up a crate off the floor to play on. I bloodied my finger but got to play with Aly Bain.

[@WillFlyGuitar]

Many thanks for posting this - I despaired of ever seeing any of the Transatlantic Sessions 2 again. Great playing by all - especially Aly - and Danny Thompson's bass playing is, as ever, wonderful. I wished he'd been on the Sessions 3... :-) Will

[@eurooscar1]

Very beautiful!

[@robinhood48]

Aly Bain. ALY BAIN!!

[@YoungJDMD]

Amazing.

[@NYyankee02]

beautiful!

[@markhosmer10]

Go to the Feb. 6, 1999 Prairie Home Companion show on their website. There is a live version with Ally and Phil Cunningham on accordion, plus some subtle drumming. It's even more haunting than this one...make me tear up.

[@ivanrorick]

+Mark Hosmer Oh wow THANK YOU for the heads up! That version is amazing! Listening to it over and over now.The fiddle and accordion blend together perfectly.

[@MagnificentFiend]

Mark Hosmer Any chance you could provide a link? I've looked in vain so far.

[@kinkle_Z]

LINK? Please!!

[@traceofafiddle]

www.prairiehome.org/shows/58059.html - starts at 51:20ish

[@williamwells835]

Mark Hosmer . . . That's the one I believe I heard once, too; with the drumming somewhat louder to make it even more haunting. What I want played as they lay me in the grave, or put me on a pyre. "The Boys of Barns Straide" by Niamh Parsons is quite haunting, as well.

[@noelmcgl]

This is the best version of Bonaparte's retreat we have heard. I hesitate to say it but it is actually better(?) than than or at least as good as the Chieftains. ACtually it's better.

[@Finnr100]

Beautiful!

[@mikel8638]

Thanks for the post. I was having trouble finding what I was looking for. This was it today!

[@MartinJames389]

Don't forget the Norwegian element! Shetland fiddle music is really a Scots / Norwegian fusion.

[@alexandermacrae9397]

Right on Martin, listen to this Yule song from Stangvik Norway and tell me there is no Celtic influence. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qX_Tk2qiaJeBeLM. It went both ways. The girl in the white top is spoken for.....

[@daviemcf]

Amazing music!!

[@camp14dogg]

Maestro.

[@aprilwino]

My family roots go back to either, Kent or Sussex, but this is what I feel now when I look into my soul. I guess I have Scots-Irish DNA in me somewhere.....maybe we all do, or should.

[@TexasJon]

Great rendition of this! :D

[@mactcampbell]

My, must we be so severely critical. Nice playing, Aly. I haven't heard O'Connor's version but we must be mindful never to let technicalities become detriment to the melody. I remember playing in session with Aly in Dr. Angus MacDonald's house in Cape Breton back in the early 80s and it sounds good to hear him again. It sure didn't appear to me that Aly was playing in an international competition on this video. Mac Campbell Port Hawkesbury, NS Canada