Song of the Day - 2nd February
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 ...