Songs For All Seasons

Today's Song of the Day is a special one for me. One of the life events I wanted to write about was pregnancy - but you may (or may not) be surprised to learn that there is very little public domain poetry about pregnancy. Thinking about it, the reason is obvious - pregnancy in those days was a thing to be kept secret, not celebrated as we do today. Pregnancy was concealed as it was evidence having *gasp* done the deed!! So I asked my youngest, who has shown an inclination for poetry, to write me a poem about Pregnancy and here is the result. I did add the chorus-type part from the point of view of the mother (those are the indented bits), but the parts from the baby's point of view are the work of my talented now-17-year-old! (And in case you are curious, Julie Reilly is the name I use for my word-writing, as opposed to my music-writing. Reilly is my married name and Cavanagh is my maiden name but they are both me!) ...

Today's Song of the Day is naturally to celebrate Valentine's Day. Legends say that St. Valentine of Rome was a priest who defied the Roman Emperor Claudius II's ban on soldiers getting married and continuing to marry couples in secret. Other stories say that he helped Christians escape Roman prisons and fell in love with the jailer’s daughter, writing her a letter signed "From your Valentine." He was martyred and his body buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14, which has been observed as the Feast of Saint Valentine (Saint Valentine's Day) since at least the eighth century. Valentine’s Day also has pagan roots alongside its connection to St. Valentine. It may have originated in Lupercalia, a festival of fertility celebrated on February 15 in ancient Rome. Lupercalia was dedicated to the Roman god of agriculture, Faunus, and the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. It was celebrated with animal sacrifices and gently slapping women and crop fields with goat ...

Today's Song of the Day highlights a setting of another poem by Christina Rossetti, "Remember". This sonnet is a heartfelt plea from the perspective of the dying for their loved one to remember them when they are gone, but not if it causes pain. The poem changes tone at the end with an assurance that it is "Better by far you should forget and smile / Than that you should remember and be sad." The song begins with the melody being passed from part to part quasi-canonically, from bass to tenor, to alto and finally to soprano. It is gently lyrical, the music matching the tone of the poem. It would be ideal for use in either a religious or secular funeral service or memorial service as it makes no mention of any particular deity. Get the music for this song for free - find out how here . Remember by Christina Rossetti Remember me when I am gone away,     Gone far away into the silent land;     When you can no more hold me by the hand,  Nor I half turn to g...

Today's Song of the Day is a setting of a poem entitled "My Mother's Hand" by Hattie Howard (1860-1920). A child's relationship with their mother is undefinable. It's the first love any of us knows, formed before we are even born. It's a complex love, threaded through with strands of discipline to ensure we grow up to be the best person we can be, and, if we are lucky, it survives our turbulent teenage years unscathed to mature into a strong bond of deep affection. Hattie Howard's poem is written from the haunting perspective of an adult remembering those golden days of childhood whilst contemplating her mother's face and hand "encoffined, still, and white." Get the music for this song for free - find out how here . My Mother's Hand By Hattie Howard My head is aching, and I wish That I could feel tonight One well-remembered, tender touch That used to comfort me so m...

Today's Song of the Day is on the theme of Engagement, although it could equally be used at a wedding. The poem I have chosen is "The Passionate Shephard (sic) to His Love" by Christopher Marlowe. Christopher Marlowe, a brilliant contemporary of Shakespeare, held the esteemed title of the preeminent Elizabethan playwright until Shakespeare took the mantle. He earned both his BA and MA from the University of Cambridge, yet his life was tragically cut short at the tender age of 29, under mysterious circumstances that continue to haunt us to this day. Speculation abounds regarding the nature and reasons behind his untimely demise—ranging from a bar-room brawl to accusations of blasphemy, whispers of homosexual intrigue, betrayal by a fellow playwright, and even espionage connected to the highest echelons of Elizabeth I's Privy Council. This poem is a heartfelt declaration of love, a tender proposal from the ...

Today is the festival of Imbolc, a Gaelic traditional festival. It marks the beginning of spring, and for Christians, it is the feast day of Saint Brigid, Ireland's patroness saint. Historically, its traditions were widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. Imbolc is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with Bealtaine, Lughnasadh and Samhain. The poem I have set for today's song is a departure from my usual choices. I have tried in the main to select poems in the public domain, but this poem I found with no attribution on a website . On enquiry, I found it was written by the website's owner, Ralph Schwartz. It spoke to me so deeply that I requested, and received permission to set his words to music. It was a good thing too as, by the time I received permission, I had already written half the song! It is a beautiful entreaty to Brigid, asking for her protection and abundance in the coming spring. This song is being Beta tested by the City ...