A selection of songs from 2010-2012, written by myself and arranged by friend Roger and I. Tracks recorded by Roger and mixed by me in 2012/13. Many thanks to Bex Mather for lending us Shaking Steven's son's microphone for the recording session! 

Until We Meet Again - with Roger James

Cast A Spell - with Roger James

Mine and my dear friend Joanna Lindsay-Dunn's arrangement of a part of Nino Rota's 1968 musical score to Franco Zeffirelli's production of 'Romeo and Juliet', 'What is a Youth' and Latin piece 'Ave Maristella'. 
Recorded for my father's Michael funeral, 2009. With love, always.

What Is A Youth/Ave Maristella (Nino Rota/BEC/JoLD)

One windy summers day, we sat around a single microphone in the sitting room of the Croft, Erraid and recorded this song. Featuring my friend Glen on Cornet. 

Rain On Me (Live on Erraid) August 2014

As part of a HLF funded project exploring the role of the WEA North East in WWI - I worked with participants to create an body of songs featuring sharings and reflections of stories uncovered during the research project. These are part of a wider album of music and stories - further information can be found at: 
https://weainworldwar1.wordpress.com/2016/05/08/voices-from-the-ruins/

Voices from the Ruins

Toxic War

Wipers Town

Springtime Sky

This song is one of a suite of music composed as part of the 'Durham Hymns - Songs of War' project. Written in collaboration with prisoners of HMP Frankland and arranged for brass ensemble by Steve Robson, this song celebrates unsung heroes of WW1; the foreign nationals, conscientious objectors, pacifists, women & miners who gave their lives in the war effort. The stories featured within the song are taken from the archive and research material which inspired Poet Laurette Carol Anne Duffy's suite of songs the 'Durham Hymns'  along with the histories - both researched & personal, of the participants involved. This recording was made in February 2017 during a live performance of the suite at St.Brandon's, Brancepeth Castle, Durham featuring the 'Durham Miners Association Brass Band'.

Born a Vaux’ brewer’s son, 1893
A driver with the DLI, 1914
Trained in Wales, at Castle Camp
To work horses on the fields of France
He hauled rations and ammunitions
Bread and bullets for the line
Trudging bridges of broken bodies
Abandoned in the lime
 
Women munitions workers, dutifully bear Britannia’s cross 
The nation’s triumph at a price, our demonstrative loss
Women risk their lives every working day
Filling TNT shells for a measly wage
Danger, danger, the reaper’s forceful friend
Our committed workforce, manufacture soldiers end
Crumbling teeth, phosphorous clouds, yellowing their skin
Women left barren as ‘No Man’s Land’

Do not be ashamed of me 
For honouring the principles of Christianity 
Or to say where I am - or what for
As others sacrifice on foreign shores
War is futile, immoral and contrary
I object, still a patriot to King and country
As I serve the crown with my hard labour
Your love’s my companion, my strength, my saviour
 
The Welsh miners who worked down the pit
Determined that they would do their bit
Their tunnelling skills, underground
From nowhere else could be found
On they went, with speed and stealth
No thought for their own lives or health
Under enemy lines they planted their bomb
The explosion that started the Battle of the Somme

War creates casualties, far beyond the trench
Women mourn their fallen whilst machismo survives, unquenched
What of grace and beauty 
Fellowship and peace
From cooking and yarning
To Munitionettes and Army
We’ll pray the battles cease… 
This man’s war

What does politics mean to a poor man
I’m just trying to do the best I can
Back in Dublin ‘Home Rule’ men want power
Whilst my hungry children stoop and cower
I took the King’s shilling, became a ‘Tommy’
So every week my wife will get the money
Irish mercenaries in a foreign land
Sure, we can sing together, brothers in a band 

From picking mangoes off the trees
To stood in blood up to my knees
You forget we, yes you forgot we
Descendants of slaves who survived the journey
Jamaica, head to toe, we’re the core of the army
You forget we, yes you forgot we
Black, brown, white, we’re a band of brother
We’re the forgotten ones, who made it safe for your mother
You forget we, yes you forgot we
Father, brother, sister, uncle and aunt
We now have blue, white and red embedded on our heart
But you forget we, yes you forgot we…

Khaki ranks of flesh and steel
German gunners in shirt sleeves
Bullets whizzing past us
Shells burst all around
Toddlers with their faces missing
Staggering, searching, propping, screaming
A cacophony of madness, whizz-bangs bleeding
Eyes closed, no longer dreaming

A rank of wheelchairs armed with crutches
Coerced into battle, no escaping war’s clutches
Will women want those once known?
Now broken minds and hearts and homes
These battle weary statues 
Carved from cold, living stone
Adrift a sea of poppies
A million lost souls

What kind of man is returning to me? Amongst jubilant parades of victory
Splendid soldiers greet brisk brass bands
Discharged broken heroes, meet their wives and their mams
Although wor lad’s war is over
Women’s duty marches on
Armed with love and inspiration
Healing scars from the Battle of the Somme

Lest We Forget (Collaborative Nations) LIVE

For more information please contact: 
info@bethanyelen.co.uk / info@freedomcity2017.com

BEC WASPI/FreedomCity 2017 Interview 17.10.17

I was inspired to write this song as I wanted to pay homage to all of the wonderful workers who make up our brilliant NHS, and sing a song of thanks and praise to the countless who often go unheard and unsung... I have tried to include as many job roles and professions as I could think of (Unfortunately, I know I have omitted many, and I promise that I will in time re-record this to include those I have missed, until then please accept my apologies!)

I first performed it with Ron Brown in February 2017 at a rally for the NHS in Newcastle (organised by KONP and NE People's Assembly) and we have since performed it at countless rallies and protests throughout the year.

TO BUY THE TRACK PLEASE SEE HERE: https://bethany-elen.bandcamp.com/track/song-for-the-nhs

All profits from the sales of the track will go to supporting grassroots NHS advocacy campaign organisations including: Save South Tyneside Hospitals Trust (www.savesouthtynesidehospital.org) and Keep Our NHS Public North East (keepournhspublic.com)
lyrics
SONG FOR THE NHS – BETHANY ELEN COYLE © 2017

For the Pharmacists and Dispensary Staff administering prescriptions
To the Dermatologists who ease us when we’re itching
From the Doctors and GP’s who heal our cancer and our sneezes
To the Researchers discovering advancements in disease

We thank you, we praise you, you are our NHS!
We will celebrate and advocate
Fight for you til the end!

From the Porters and the Drivers who transport us every day
The Para-medics and Emergency teams who help us on our way
The Psychologists and Councillors who supporting when we’re down
To the Physiotherapists who help us move around
We thank you, we praise you, you are our NHS!...

From the Midwives and Neonatal teams who birth and tend new life
The Surgeons and Anesthetists helping us under the knife
For the Managers and Engineers who mind the wheels a turning
The Estate staff and Administrators who keep the cogs a churning
We thank you, we praise you, you are our NHS!...

The Rheumatologists and Osteopaths who ease our aching bones
The 999 and 101 staff - our first port of call
The Dentists, Hygienists, Technicians, helping us to smile
You’ll NEVER be replaced by the NHS online!
We thank you, we praise you, you are our NHS!...

From the Support staff and Auxiliaries who help us wash and bath
Let’s hear it for the Clown Doctors, who make the children laugh!
And the Cardiologists - who keep our hearts a ticking
To the Cooks, the KP’s, Canteen staff who make us our dinner
We thank you, we praise you, you are our NHS!...

From the Geneticists, Toxicologists, Urologists and PTS
Nurses, Sisters, Therapists, Radiographers, Orthoptists
Prosthetists and Podiatrists, Technologists and OT’s
To the workers on the wards, who bring us cups of tea!
We thank you, we praise you, you are our NHS!...

The Radiologists and Oncologists who peer so deep inside
To the Behavioural Therapists who help us socialise
The Dieticians who deal with our intolerance
To the Pathologists and Autopsy staff who specialise in death
We thank you, we praise you, you are our NHS!...

The Gynacologists, Sexual Health Teams fixing problems down below
And the Laundry Services workers, who wash our dirty clothes
I’m sure I’ve thanked everyone, but let me have a think…
We can’t forget the cleaners who deal with all our ****! (STINK!)
We thank you, we praise you, you are our NHS!...
credits
released February 5, 2018
Bethany Elen - Vocals
Ron Brown - Backing Vocals / Guitar / Bass / Cajon / Sound effects!
Recorded & Mixed by Ali Reay November 2017 at Blue Attic Studios, Hexham, Northumberland

Song For The NHS - Bethany Elen

I'll let the song do the talking... written to perform at a People's Assembly rally in Newcastle, 2017
lyrics
What will we say, to our future kin
Of these dark times, we are living in
Will we remain silent or stand and be heard?
Revolution is rising, all over the world

CHORUS
Enough excuses, apathy and blame
We have the power, to create a change
We must come together, we must unify
We shall - Educate, Agitate, Organise

In our society, many merely survive
The most vulnerable, they now pay the price
As we dismantle the triumphs of our past
We still have hope, but it may be our last

We have a duty, to raise our voice
Let the cities sing, and the streets rejoice
As we the people, march in our lines
There are no borders but those in our mind

Build bridges not walls, speak of hope not hate
We must act now, before it’s to late
The world is warming, the seas are sick
We must rally our comrades, our friends and our kin
credits
released February 5, 2018
Bethany Elen Coyle - Vocals and Guitar
Ron Brown - Backing Vocals / Cajon / Bass
Recorded and Mixed by Ali Reay at Blue Attic Studio, Hexham, Northumberland in November 2017
license
all rights reserved

Agitate, Educate, Organise - Bethany Elen

Inspired by and about the beautiful island of Erraid, off the Western Coast of Scotland, it's people, it's family and the many memories I made and the peace I found there. 

This version recorded live @ Rhumba Palace with the Coast Road collective. 2015.

Live at Rumba Palace

Sky to Sand to Shore(Song for Erraid) Live@Rhumba Palace with Coast Road

A commission written in response to films created as part of D6's 'There Is Beauty In This Journey' project, and debuted on December 18th 2018 @ International Migrants Day celebrations at the Star and Shadow cinema, Newcastle. (Lyrics below) For more info see: http://www.d6culture.org/there-is-beauty-in-this-journey.html

IMAGINE OUR WORLD (We Can But Dream) For D6: There Is Beauty In This Journey - 2018

Imagine our world… where none are illegal
Without borders and nations 
And all rights are equal
Where we are free to come, free to go
Free to roam, this planet our home
We can but dream, We can but dream

Imagine our world… where we freely share
Our stories, our lives, our work and our wares 
Our talents, our skills, our hopes and our dreams
Are all held in equal esteem
We can but dream, We can but dream

Imagine our world… where our cultures, our creeds
Are respected along with our thoughts and our deeds
Our contrasting colours together would weave
A world tapestry - of beauty beyond our dreams
Beyond our wildest dreams, we can but dream

Imagine our world… where we live peace
And the safely, solace, the asylum we seek
The right to resettlement, the right to roam
The right to a home - belongs to all
We can but dream, we can but dream

Imagine our world, a democracy
We all are part of our human family
Where freedom of movement, freedom of choice
Are inherent at birth, and we all have a voice
I dare to dream… We dare to dream

IMAGINE OUR WORLD (We Can But Dream) - LIVE SKETCH

The Workie Tickets - The Coal Owner & The Pitman's Wife (W.Hornsby)
featuring Bethany Elen and Ron Brown
Recorded Live, November 2018
Rather fittingly filmed in an Old Mining Institute in front of a roaring fire (quite possibly the HOTTEST recording session in the world... ever)
Thanks to Liam Gaughn (www.liamgaughan.com) for more videos and music see the Workie Tickets facebook page!

The Coal Owner and The Poor Pitman's Wife - LIVE

Written in 2014, recorded live in my home, November 2018.

The Workie Tickets - Wander the World (BEC)
featuring Bethany Elen and Ron Brown 
Recorded Live, November 2018
Rather fittingly filmed in an Old Mining Institute in front of a roaring fire (quite possibly the HOTTEST recording session in the world... ever)
Thanks to Liam Gaughn (www.liamgaughan.com)and Ben Holden (www.fleetfootstudios.co.uk)for their recording and photographic mastery! For more music and videos, see the Workie Tickets facebook!

Wander The World - LIVE

Bethany Elen is a folk singer from Co.Durham, with a diverse style drawn to the darker side of folk. Through music and song she explores a range of themes and issues. Her music is tinged with Blues, Jazz, Americana and Traditional Folk music. She collaborates with a number of musicians and (see her facebook for more info)

Bethany Elen

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