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Back in September I noted that I had written some words whilst on holiday and that only time would tell if they developed into a song. Well, they did, but not into a Childe Rolande sort of song. Still, it was an interesting exercise with regard to the song-writing process. As I said before, I usually start with the melody/chords and then hopefully come up with words to fit. Working the other way round brings a slightly different set of problems. I wrote the words to this new song over a few days and now, coming to write a tune, it has become apparent that I didn’t stick to the same metre throughout. It’s fascinating that when a new song gets to a certain stage in its development it sort of solidifies in its structure and further work on it has to follow the new song’s internal rules, if that makes sense? So, not allowing myself to rewrite most of the words, I’ve ended up with two different time signatures, two tempos, three different rhythms and two/three different keys (I think? It starts in C major and ends in D minor with a bit of F major in between) plus, I had to come up with four different instrumental breaks to tie it all together! An interesting experiment but in future I think I’ll stick to my usual way of working, at least to begin with.
The start of November is celebrated in the Celtic calendar with the ancient festival of Samhain heralding in the beginning of Winter, the end of Summer and the harvest. It is time when is believed the veil between the living and the dead is very thin. Churches overlaid the ancient Samhain festival with their Christian All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Modern Halloween is a mixture of elements of the Pagan Samhain and the later Christian festivals.
Of course the most well-known festival in November is that of Bonfire Night on the 5th, commemorating the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot, the attempt in 1605 by Catholic conspirators to blow up King James and his Parliament. Parliament decreed public celebrations to include bell-ringing, bonfires, special prayers and sermons. Although bell-ringing, prayers and sermons have lost favour, the tradition of bonfires has continued. One of the most spectacular events that takes place every year must be the popular Bonfire Night at Lewes, East Sussex. Organised by the various local Bonfire Societies their individual events end with the costumed Grand United Parade, a flaming torchlit procession through the town. Lewes has continued to attract controversy particularly in their enthusiastic use of the event to comment on political, religious and social issues by the parading and burning of effigies of unpopular figures of the day. What’s not to like?
(My thanks in research to the excellent book The English Year by the folklorist Steve Roud.)
All text, images and music samples on this site are copyright © Childe Rolande.
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Poster for Lucy Anna Martin
(click to watch the video)