Fourth track inspired by "The Wake", by Paul Kingsnorth. It's a post apocalyptic novel set a thousand years ago.
Buccmaster laments the loss of his sons to the fyrd (a conscripted army). He is a practical man, he bemoans the fickle nature of gods and the heroes of legend: where are they when you really need them? 
Welland, referred to in the lyric, was a mortal hero who got the better of the old gods. 
I hoped a Yorkshire accent might sound appropriate for the dark ages!

Where now is Welland the Wise?
Where now is Welland?
Where are my sons?
Where now?

The old gods will not come
The Christ will not come
We must look to ourselves
Look to ourselves

All Rights Reserved 2023

the fyrd

8/3 2023
Hönö  Gothenburg
Photo: Skeneby

Edge

A real pleasure to present to you perhaps the strangest song I have ever collaborated on. Gary simply sent me a line of prose to be used as an acrostic, where each word is the beginning of a line of lyrics. Nothing else. Blank canvas. The original words are "Show Those Ones You Love That They Are Adored Fully, Encompassed Within My Daily Thoughts Are Peaceful Intentions Towards Them All"

He asked me to make up some lyrics and a melody, any key, then to sing the tune to a click track and he would do the rest. To top it off the title of the song is acronymous - ACRONYM standing for the full title, which is "A collaborative record of nostalgia, yearning (&) memories"

Acronym

Show that I love you and hold all
Those memories close to my heart..those
Ones that we all made together. 
You mean all the world what we call
Love has been from the start..the thing
That will unite us forever. 
They make us gold
Are all we know
Adored until we're old
Fully complete

Encompassed by magic and fire
Within our safe house, desire, yeah 
My future is with you together 
Daily my prayer to our Maker, our
Thoughts mingle sweetly forever 
Are only of one and the other
Peaceful night
Intentions right
Toward the light, hold
Them tight
All complete

I did my usual trick of slapping something down, nipping to Bruges to check that the Trappist Monks were still making beer to my rigorous personal standards and leaving all the heavy lifting to him. Through an elaborate ritual of digital ceremonial magic, electronic alchemy, Job-like patience and wiffle dust he has produced this. Fascinating how he uses tonal and atonal harmony to create tension, power and release, matching it so well to the emotion of the words.

The lyrics are a paean to family and friends, his, mine, yours, ours.
If you've not experienced Gary and Jamie's work, please check them out
https://soundcloud.com/one-other where he has also uploaded this collaboration
https://soundcloud.com/one-other/acronym

As Thom, https://soundcloud.com/esyrup agrees, time is our only enemy. :)

Initial words, music, arrangement and production: Gary
Additional lyrics and Vocals: Nick

Be good, you little rascals

Nick

Pic: Nick (Barry Beach South Wales)

B

Al Bob Bidwell