HALESWORTH COMMUNITY CHOIR, CROSSING THE BORDER,

SYZEWELL GAP

LOVE CALL ME HOME a Journey of Life

Halesworth Arts Festival 2017

Love Call Me Home

Welcome to the Halesworth Community Choir Festival concert. Once

again we are joined by local choir Crossing The Border. Both choirs

are under the musical direction of Janet Koralambe.

We are delighted to be joined by East Anglian folk band Syzewell

Gap. The band will be accompanying us in a number of songs, as well

as performing pieces from their own repertoire.

This evening’s concert is an expression of the journeys that we make

through a rich variety of music and song.

COME AND JOIN US

The choir is always pleased to welcome new singers.

No previous experience necessary, no requirement

to read music — just a love of singing.

We are a community choir so our doors are open to one and all.

Interested? Then speak with one of us this evening,

or for further information contact:

Jenny Knight, HCC Membership Secretary email: halesworth.community.choir@gmail.com

PART 1

Woyaya Written by Ghanaian drummer Sol Amarifio, with lyrics by Annie Masembe from Uganda. It’s the title song of a 1971 album by Osibisa, a group of Ghanaian and Caribbean musicians. This arrangement is from Ysaye Barnwell (of Sweet Honey in the Rock). The Journey of a Song - Eileen Ryan. Fiducia Words by John Newton, tune Robinson (Hesperian Harp 1848). A version of Amazing Grace from the Shape Note tradition.

Slaves Lament Words and music by Robert Burns, written at the height of the slave trade. Arranged by Alison Burns (no relation, as far as I’m aware).

When Death Was Behind Me A blues written by Alison Burns and inspired by words of refugees rescued by the Italian sea charity Mare Nostrum. The words are based on quotes from two refugees - Khalid, a journalist from Pakistan, and John, a car

mechanic fleeing from Boko Haram in Nigeria.

I Cross ’til I Am Weary Words by Emily Dickinson (adapted). Music by Brendan Taaffe who wrote this dedication for it:

“For women everywhere who must leave their homes and for those who offer shelter”

Travel Tickets Written to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Amnesty International in 2011. Words by Samil al-Qasim, a Palestinian Druze poet living in Haifa, and

translated by Abdullah al-Udhari. Music by Helen Chadwick. Traveller’s Tale— “The Unluckiest Man in the World” - a cautionary tale from the telling of Taffy Thomas, read by Mike Fordham.

Step By Step Tune traditional Irish, words anon. Taught to us by Lester Simpson of Coope

Boyes and Simpson. Raise Your Voices Words and arrangement by Lester Simpson, music traditional Gallician.

Blow the Winds Melody traditional arranged by Sarah Morgan. The song was collected in

Hampshire by Bob Copper.

The Journey of a Song - Eileen Ryan. Amazing Grace

Words John Newton, tune New Britain. Arrangement by Jonathan Baker.

Great Camp Meeting Traditional African/American Spiritual arranged by Lela M. Anderson. The Camp Meetings were gatherings held in the frontier area of America where people without regular preachers would gather and camp out to listen to itinerant preachers, pray, and sing hymns. Camp meetings offered community and diversion from work. Angel Gabriel An arrangement by John Harrison. Traditional Americana from the singing of Atwater-Donelly. Local Journeys - The Rushcart.

- INTERVAL -

PART 2

Kemp’s Journey - Mike Fordham and John Hooten. Will was a famous comic actor who was renowned for Morris dancing from London to Norwich in 1599, which he immortalized in a pamphlet “Nine Days Wonder”. The Journey of a Song - Eileen Ryan. How Sweet the Sound

A modern version of Amazing Grace, written by Gitika Partington.

Cradle Song

Mad Mary

Cock Robin Words Hugh Lupton, music Chris Woods. These three songs were

commissioned by Sian Croose and funded by several community choirs. That Lonesome Road Words and music by James Taylor and Don Grolnick. Arranged by Simon Carrington.

Somewhere Along the Road

Words and music Maddy Prior. Arranged by Teresa Verney and Jane Parker.

Travelling Tunes—the band will perform Lemmie Brazil’s Hornpipes and Riding up to Derby. Lementina Brazil was a member of a large family of travellers. She played melodeon and mouth-organ and often played for step dancing. Riding up to Derby was learned from the playing of Billy Bennington—a Norfolk dulcimer player. Love Call Me Home

Words and music Peggy Seeger. Arranged by Peter Amidon. My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean

Traditional Scottish folk song.

Sweet Thames Flow Softly Written by Ewan MacColl for an experimental production based on Romeo and Juliet. The lyrics tell the tale of a man who fell in love but was heartbroken when the relationship ended. La Luna

A Colombian lullaby arranged by Helen Chadwick.

What If You Slept Words Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Music Jonathan Baker. Written for the

Voice Project Norwich. Dors Bien

Words Traditional/Andrew McDonnell. Music Jeremy Avis.

Irish Blessing

Words traditional Irish. Music Bob Chilcott.

- END -

Janet Koralambe Janet has been making music most of her life. She has worked in

schools and theatres, run pre-school music groups, and led singing

sessions in residential homes. She started running community choirs

about seven years ago and now runs four groups - Halesworth

Community Choir, Village Voices (based in Hoxne), Crossing The

Border, and Too Many Cooks (based in Harleston). All the groups are

open access, no previous experience needed, just a desire to sing

with others.

Halesworth Community Choir

Halesworth Community Choir is open to people of all ages and abilities.

Music is taught by ear so you don't have to be able to read it. Recruitment is

open and without audition, and we rehearse at The Cut on Sundays.

For more information about the choir, please visit:

• Our web site (hcc1.no-ip.info), or

• Facebook page: (www.facebook.com/HalesworthCommunityChoir).

Those singing tonight are:

Soprano: Pippa Church, Juliet Corbett, Eileen Coxon-Turner, Caroline Mackenzie, Gabrielle Maughan, Annie McClarnon, Margot Noyes, Olivia Overton, Jane Parker, Ann Selby, Pat Townshend, Mary-Jane Tyrrell.

Alto: Jane Beard, Jo Budd, Dorothy Casey, Annie Clark, Jenny Knight, Evelyn Lindqvist, Marian May, Steph Minns, Ruth Walker.

Tenor: Hazel Allchin, Suzanne Bartlett, Glen Brooks, Arlene Roberts, Liz Wooster.

Bass: Richard Chamberlain, Martin Clark, Charles Clutterbuck, Clive Lovelock, Simon Parker, Robert Walker.

We meet at The Bank Community Arts Centre in Eye on Wednesday

evenings from 7.30 to 9.15.

For more information contact Janet Koralambe at:

crossingtheborder.jk@gmail.com

Those singing tonight are:

Soprano: Emily Mills, Sophie Ruscoe.

Alto: Bev Adams, Robyn Challis, Kay Edwards, Judy O’Keefe, Margaret Roubicek.

Tenor: Karen Absolon, Sue Hudson.

Crossing The Border

Crossing The Border is a small

group for more confident singers

who like singing with just two or

three people to a part.

We like tackling more complex

harmonies but everything is still

taught by ear for those who don't

read music.

Syzewell Gap

Jude Avery - single-row melodeons.

Annie Clark - hammer dulcimer, soprano saxophone, tenor curtal & recorder.

Martin Clark - keyboard, Appalachian dulcimer & bass.

Mike Fordham - anglo concertina, harmonica, percussion, pipe and tabor & story telling.

The current line-up has been together since 1982 and has played at

venues all over East Anglia as well as festivals and clubs across the UK.

The band plays mainly British and European traditional music for

dancing, with a caller who guides everyone through the figures.

Syzewell Gap and friends have also produced a number of travelling

shows with music, songs, stories, shadow puppets, mumming plays

and sketches. These have often been over the winter months and

performances have been mainly in village halls around Suffolk.

Syzewell Gap also keeps traditions alive by working with primary

schools in East Suffolk to encourage dancing sessions – this work is

supported by Suffolk Folk.

Jon Hooton danced in a recent

re-enactment of Will Kemp’s

journey. He also dances with

Golden Star Morris in Norwich

and Big Jigs. Jon often calls for

ceilidhs with Syzewell Gap.

Jon Hooton

Acknowledgements

The choirs would like to thank the following people, without whom

this project would not have been possible:

• Musical Direction - Janet Koralambe.

• Lighting - Trevor Allchin.

• ‘Tree Tunnel Uphill’ (cover painting) - Margot Noyes.

• Poster and Programme Design - Simon Parker.

• Stepping in to take part in the Readings - Pete Long.