FOLK SESSION – Howard Arms, Brampton
Instead of our usual Christmas/Winter theme, someone (who shall be nameless in these annals) challenged us with the theme of ‘light and darkness’ for our December session. The fellowship of Brampton folkies stepped up to the mark nobly! A warm welcome to Jo, joining us for the first time.
Of course, Christmas works well with light and darkness, thus we had Christmas Eve from John G on mouth organ and a medley of carols from Adrian on melodeon (In Dulci Jubilo; On Christmas Night; Joy to the World and Sweet Bells, all of which mention light or darkness in some form). Alan pulled off a cheeky double reference by singing O, Little Town of Bethlehem (dark streets/everlasting light) to the tune of The House of the Rising Sun! Sally sang about the Starry Night of Christ’s birth; Katy hailed Him as the ‘dayspring’ (Veni, Veni Immanuel), and Geoff P recited Norman Nicholson’s Shepherds’ Carol about the three tough farmers who found ‘the latest arrival’ in a stable by starlight. The Russian innkeeper, Ivan, lights a candle for St Nicholas in Chris’s story Ivan and the Mice. On a more material note, Sally romped through Australia ‘on a scorching summer day’, in her Jingle Bells parody; and Chris got us joining in the rollicking At Last I’m Ready for Christmas, complete with log fire and ‘matching inside glow’.
Times of day were a popular way of working in light and darkness. Charles had the idea with Sunrise, Sunset as did Jane with Northern Lights; the dawn ‘dances over the bay’ as we Follow the Heron Home (Phil); Anne lulled her babe ‘as twilight falls’ (The Border Lullaby); the sun sinks and the trees grow dark as Gerda asks her lover, Wrap me in Yer Airms Tonight; John G played Lark in the Morning; From Night Till Morn; Last Night’s Fun and Tuesday Night Jig. Jo assured us that Greys and Gold was ‘tenuously’ about dawn! Adrian’s tall tale of the hunt for The Christmas Hare takes place ‘as night was coming down’, as does Phil’s surreal Reel in the Flickering Light. The icy and atmospheric Halsway Carol (John L) anticipates ‘the coming of the longest night’.
Light and darkness – particularly the latter – are metaphors for emotional states. Ron complained to My Lady of Autumn that ‘the light was changing’; Richard Harris sang us his own song, Dark in the Night, written to mourn a friend; John L’s Deep in the Darkest Night offers support in difficult times. The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood (Jane) are destroyed, and the ‘roses weep, both light and dark’ (incidentally, the only reference anyone found to light and dark as shades of colour). Rosemary’s Sister (Ron) used light/darkness to symbolise human tenacity in the face of war and destruction.
Heavenly bodies and artificial sources all give light. Vincent (Anne) painted ‘The Starry Night’, and Alan saw ‘one star awake’ as She Moved Through the Fair. Gerda’s Reconciliation cycles through ‘autumn sun’ as well as summertime and December mornings, while Richard Harris compared Nancy Spain’s charms to stars and sunlight. Charles took us Downtown ‘where the lights are much brighter’; May Margaret’s seven brothers entered her chamber with ‘torches burning red’ to murder Clerk Saunders (Jo); and Geoff P sang in praise of Percy Shaw, who invented cats’ eyes!
We next meet on Tuesday 20th January at 8pm in The Howard Arms, Brampton. Our theme will be
Rogues, Vagabonds and Thieves. ALL WELCOME!