This amazing event was recorded on 14 November 2020. We had great on-line audience, who made it really special with all the kind and supportive chat messages. I’m very pleased to be able to share the recording with you to listen again…
With huge thanks to Fiona Talkington, for all her support and guidance from the initial idea through to the great conversation we had on the night. And of course, thank you to the musicians! Please do check out the following pages to find out more about each artist, about the songs, and how to find them online. Your interest and support is always welcome.
Finally, as we mentioned on the night, please do consider a donation to the Reading Refugee Support Group (https://rrsg.org.uk/).
The Songs
This is a song about climate change denial…something that the man won’t get away with! A song about Blind human stupidity, governments lying to us while we pay for wars we don’t need Innocent lives are lost, people are separated to remain weak. The rich & poor divide widens & the powerful make decisions based on profit & not human well being or sustainability of all life on Earth. Where is the sense in this… This song, by James Bay, is a song in which the author laments fighting against the tide of time and life as is sweeps him away from a previously relationship. While this song isn’t specifically linked to climate change, the image of holding back the tide is very relevant to living in Reading…. My song ‘Timeline’ which I recorded on my mobile phone is about love, loss and limitations. It is about our lives on this planet with it’s limited resources, and our desires and hopes for a life filled with belonging and connection. Even if we have very little of our own… Revolution reflects upon the irrevocable changes brought about by climate change – from the effects on the atmosphere itself to the overall effects on our planet and our lives. The title was chosen because throughout research into the topic, it became clear that we need to revolutionise the ways in which we live our lives in order to ensure we slow the warming of the planet…. The song is observing how nature’s strength prevailed during lockdown. The peace and quiet, when cars and aeroplanes stopped their constant hum. It is about how farming and growing our own food is so important to our wellbeing and survival… The climate crisis we are in is an incredibly scary and overwhelming thing. There is definitely a time and a place to feel those fearful emotions, but I find they can sometimes hinder our sense that we can change our situation. This song, and many of my others, takes the stance that if you can make the message funny, catchy and empowering…
‘The Girl with the Gun’ by Avian 2 November 2020
‘Bill Collector’ by Steve Morano 30 October 2020
‘Hold Back the River’ by Readiophonics 1 November 2020
‘Timeline’ by Jude Haste 16 November 2020
‘Revolution’ by Jenni Pinnock – played by Aldworth Philharmonic Orchestra
‘Panic in the Streets’ by Sarah Lu and No Flag 1 November 2020
‘Let’s save the frogs’ by Captain Batgirl (Maisy Inston)
Please also check out these great songs from Christina and Matt…
Hopefully, hopeful. When I played this song live at Hope folk festival, and audiences commented “all folk songs are about dying”. So interestingly the “saying goodbye” in this song was read as an elegy. I then I looked at its lyrics in more depth with the metaphors it sets up, “only one way in, only one way out” was a literal description of the cave entrance…. Back before the turn of the Millennium everything was falling to pieces and we really thought it couldn’t get much worse. And yet here we are….
‘Peak Cavern Adieu’ by Christina Hogg 30 October 2020
‘This Is What Happens’ by Matt Westwood
Link to PDF here
Songs
Introduce your song
ChrisBeales.net
ReadingCAN.org.uk