Discover Weekly Archive

Blue

A Case of You

God My Exceeding Joy

“Smith College’s Loss” is a Quabbin Valley Folk recording written in response to a fatal house fire in Northampton that claimed the life of longtime Smith College professor Thalia Pandiri. The song reflects on teaching, language, and community loss, closing with a solo violin dedication performed in her memory.

“Smith College’s Loss” by Quabbin Valley Folk reflects on a Northampton tragedy and honors a lifetime of teaching at Smith. Closing with a solo violin dedication, the song holds grief, memory, and gratitude together.
#folkmusic #adamrsweet #smithcollege



Verse 1
On Fort Hill Terrace, just after nine
Blue lights cut through a winter line
Sirens climbing the quiet street
Fire and smoke where neighbors meet
A house once filled with lamps and books
Now held its breath as the flames took hold
One life ended in the heat and dark
A scholar's voice, a lasting mark

Verse 2
Fifty six years in the classroom light
Teaching ancient words to live and fight
Greek and Latin, stories told
Worlds made new from texts so old
She taught how language carries pain
How myth and loss still speak our name
Students learned to read with care
To see the truth buried there

Chorus
Smith College's loss, Northampton's grief
A life of meaning, a life of belief
From every page, her lessons stay
Though the fire took her breath away
Candles glow where questions were
A mind that shaped a future here
Smith College's loss, a quiet bell
For a life that taught us well

Verse 3
Firefighters worked an hour or more
Holding the line at the burning door
One soul gone, another safe
Fragile margins that fate can make
The cause still hidden, answers slow
Only ashes left to show
How fast the ordinary breaks
How little time a fire takes

Verse 4
In lecture halls and shaded paths
Her work still walks where students pass
Translation bridges time and voice
Giving lost words a living choice
She asked us why old stories last
Why love and loss outlive the past
Those questions echo even now
In every vow, in every vow

Chorus
Smith College's loss, Northampton's grief
A life of meaning, a life of belief
From every page, her lessons stay
Though the fire took her breath away
Candles glow where questions were
A mind that shaped a future here
Smith College's loss, a quiet bell
For a life that taught us well

Outro
Tonight the hill is dark and still
Smoke has faded, the cold air fills
But what she gave cannot be burned
It lives in every mind she turned
Smith College's loss, we say her name
In learning, memory, and flame

Smith College's Loss

7. B66 • De Son Trône de clarté

En El Olympia

La Mer (Live)

Kate & Anna McGarrigle

Swimming Song

Andy Irvine & Paul Brady

Arthur McBride

Byrd Lives

Rum And Coca-Cola (Live)

Blues Run The Game

The Needle And The Damage Done

From the 15.12.12 Soma bar Berlin gig Julie Dillon vocals, Florian von Frieling guitar.

I'd Rather Go BLind

Jörg ist ein wahrer Meister seines Fachs, wenn es um einfühlsame Balladen geht. Mit einer Beständigkeit und einem Gefühl für Atmosphäre, die seinesgleichen suchen, lädt dieser Künstler seine Zuhörer ein, in eine Welt der Gefühle und Emotionen einzutauchen.

Seine Interpretationen von bekannten Musikern sind einzigartig und tragen dazu bei, dass es seinem Publikum während seiner Konzerte niemals langweilig wird. Seine eigenen Kompositionen sind voller Tiefe und mit einer Vielfalt an unterschiedlichen Nuancen. Seine Musik zum Mitsingen, Mitsummen, Träumen und Genießen ist perfekt geeignet für alle, die sich in einer verträumten, romantischen Stimmung befinden. 

Dieser Musiker ist in der Tradition irischer Pub Sänger verwurzelt und versteht es meisterhaft, das Publikum mit seiner Musik zu begeistern. Seine Stimme und sein Talent auf der Gitarre sind perfekt aufeinander abgestimmt und sorgen für eine Atmosphäre, wie man sie nur in einem schummrigen gemütlichen Pub erleben kann.

Insgesamt ist Jörg ein unverwechselbares Highlight auf jedem Konzert und wird sicherlich auch Ihr Publikum in seinen Bann ziehen.

Arthur McBride

Andy Irvine

Related tracks