Written during my battle with breast cancer, this is written as a conversation between myself and Donn, the Celtic Dark Lord of Death

Death be not Proud

Dark Lord

I lost my beloved brother in December 2020 and wrote this song to him on what would have been his birthday in February 2021. We were born in Scotland hence the Scottish title and accent. I've also used traditional Scottish instruments - bagpipes and tin whistle. In the final chorus you will hear the recitation of an Afrikaans poem by Eugene Marais. Graham recited this poem in his final hours, it seemed to bring him comfort.
On Jordan's banks didn't you hear me calling?
Did you hear my voice as you slipped awa'
You couldn't have heard 'cos you know I asked for
A little more time, a few days more
I called out 'Stay, stay, just a wee while,
one day's not much to ask,
though we may meet again that's in a long while,
from then to now is one bridge too far'

We thought the days ahead lay unnumbered
so wars we waged and careless our thoughts
had I only known that day was the last one
I'd stand in the way, I'd block out the door,
I'd tell you 'Stay, stay, just a wee while,
one day's not much to ask,
though we may meet again that's in a long while,
from then to now is one bridge too far'

Graham's voice -' Eh Bahran'


Ek sien van ver die glans van staal en goud,             (I see from far the gleam of steel and gold,

Ek hoor die sag gedruis van water diep en koud;      I hear the soft sound of water deep and cold;

Ek hoor jou stem as fluistering in ’n droom,               I hear your voice as murmuring in a dream,

Kom snel, O Diep Rivier, O Donker Stroom.              Come quickly, Oh Deep River, Oh Dark Stream).

Stay a wee while

Stay A Wee While (for Graham)

In the past year I have come face to face with death like never before. I often wish that I could connect with my loved ones who have crossed over. This song reflects that.
Tin Whistle - Bev Whelan
Violin - Rayelle Goodman
Produced by Roger Bashew.

Long Shadows:
When daylight wanes and dark night is calling
Just as the long shadow falls
Just as the birds still, the air cools, they beckon,
That's when the long shadow falls..
It's in the breeze you hear them whisper a welcome
Scars that open and bleed,
And so you straddle their world
With one foot in your world
As the moon is waxing,
Or perhaps it's waning

Rejoined in rapture and there's no perdition
Fear not the wages of sin
Because the skies boast the colors they bathe in
and no long shadows therein
But in the breeze they whisper,
"come in your own time, 
there's still so much to do"
And so you straddle their world
with one foot in your world
As the moon is waxing
Or perhaps it's waning.

Long Shadows

I wrote this song based on the 16th Century poem by John Donne, where he tells death not to be proud since we will live on in the afterlife.
Featuring Bev Whelan on Tin Whistle
Rayelle Goodman on Violin
Roger Bashew on acoustic guitar and percussion
Produced by Roger Bashew


Paints blood on the pillars, paints the windows the door
hopes that he'll notice as he passes o'er
Mighty and dreadful, he waits at her feet
silent he beckons, triumphant he leaves!

she pays the ferry-man with coins on her eyes
'Oh wont you take me to the other side?'
Sails with the boatman to far, distant shores,
they're there to welcome as she crosses o'er
Be not Proud!

'Please see my token, no black shrouds, no pall,
and please don't take me as you're passing o'er'
The friend of the poison, of sickness and war greets her
with deaf ears - he's been there before,

she pays the ferry-man with coins on her eyes
'Oh wont you take me to the other side?'
Sails with the boatman to far, distant shores,
they're there to welcome as she crosses o'er
Be not Proud!

Death Be Not Proud

My take on the massacre of the MacDonald Clan, in Glencoe in 1692

In Glencoe, MacDonald dwelt in misty swirls on the braes
owned the land, ruled the clan, ruled the braes
Till the Kings men in their red coats
with thundering hoof and sword
took the land, taxed the crops, jailed our lords

The Highlander Code, don't bar the door
He who enters will be a friend,
In our red and green tartan
MacDonald defend, 
the right to our Freedom our peace, our own ends.

Then the Kings man sent a Clansman 
with wily smiles who said,
'Here's an oath signed in blood
yes and oath signed in blood
drop your swords, end this war, peace will reign'

The Highlander Code, don't bar the door
He who enters will be a friend,
Now peaceful our slumber
easy our dreams,
no enemy lurking we're safe now it seems.

The Clan MacDonald

The Clan MacDonald (Radio Mix)

This is my tribute to my Pictish ancestors, who would paint their naked bodies blue before going into battle.

Warriors Cry
Hills rolling, snow falling, cars flashing by
how the scent of a memory
brings hero's to life
Mobiles and sell by's amid 
circles of stone
and I swear when I listen
he's calling me home.

Flesh painted blue for the bluster
And the kiss of a sword, bronze and wide,
and when I look inside I hear a Warrior's Cry
Hear a beat on a skin drum
Tho' the song of the Bard's dead and gone
I know what he's saying
he's calling me home
Ahh
Behold the seasons,
revere the long day...
In our 'progress' we lost you somehow
on the way,
Stare into grey mist, to green lands
a blood moon on the rise
Feeds the heart of my people
and courses through mine,  

Flesh painted blue for the bluster
And the kiss of a sword, bronze and wide,
and when I look inside I hear a Warrior's Cry
Hear a beat on a skin drum
Tho' the song of the Bard's dead and gone
I know what he's saying
He's calling me home

Warrior's Cry (radio edit)

Warriors Cry

We all have a shadow - those things that we don't like about ourselves and which we tend to repress and deny, but the road to true happiness means that we need to accept our whole selves. I see my shadow as a Moonflower. 
Lyrics:
My taboos, your taboos,
let's keep them quiet
let's keep the face on, the name strong,
but I've grown tired.
Cloaked and denied you were like
lava that brewed,
one day I turned around, and I looked at you,
saw you're
Just like a Moonflower, 
You blossomed at night
spread yourself wide
so you could send back the light
Heady and fragrant you drew me to you
When I look around I see that I've lost,
I've lost my taboos.

I swept my house clean, devils grew
they multiplied,
called out for 7 or more all to join in their ride,
the abyss seemed wide to cross,
a world split in 2
but the bridge that we built
carries both me and you, 
Cos you're
Just like a Moonflower, 
You blossomed at night
spread yourself wide
so you could send back the light
Heady and fragrant you drew me to you
When I look around I see that I've lost,
I've lost my taboos.

Moonflower

Kelpies are deeply rooted in Scottish history and heritage.
In Scottish folklore, a kelpie is a dangerous shape-shifting water creature that can appear on land as a horse, enticing  the unwitting traveller to ride on it's back, before carrying the person down to a watery grave. But, anyone who can get hold of a kelpie's bridle will have command over it! 

So, I've taken this folk-tale to a metaphysical level ; our battle with our shadow is a life long quest, and in this song I've used the image of riding the Kelpie as a metaphor for self-discovery and triumph over the darker aspects of the self - I hope you enjoy it, please give it a thumbs up or subscribe if you do!

The lyrics are:
"Climb on" says the Kelpie, 
"for I'll carry you o'er, 
and as we ride you can try to 
take my bridle's hold,
I may thrash, I may leap
and we'll visit the deep".

You shimmer like diamonds,
you're deep as night
who knows the perils inside you,
the demons you hide,
but that shore is calling
and the river's wide,
must wade the inky black waters 
to the other side,

"Climb on" says the Kelpie, 
"for I'll carry you o'er, 
and as we ride you can try to 
take my bridle's hold,
I may thrash, I may leap
and we'll visit the deep".

You're still like black granite,
in deep inert,
the weeds that claw and entrap me
in fury and hurt,
but that shore still calls me
and I must rise above these
bleak, icy currents
to turn back the tides,

Climb on" says the Kelpie, 
"for I'll carry you o'er, 
and as we ride you can try to 
take my bridle's hold,
I may thrash, I may leap
and we'll visit the deep".

-----

Written and sung by Christine Weir
Produced by Roger Bashew
Tin Whistle by Bev Whelan
Acoustic guitars by Richard Tait and Jonathan Tait
Bagpipes by Peter Odendaal
Chanter by Beth Odendaal
Mastered by Joshua Riley
Video filmed and created by Robyn Schoon

THE KELPIE - CHRISTINE WEIR

This type of singing, mouth music, or making music with your mouth, goes back to about the 12th century in Scotland, but it became very popular in the highlands of Scotland after the battle of Culloden, when, in an effort to quell Scottish national fervor after , the English authorities banned tartans and bagpipes. All th harmonies in this song are sung by the wonderful bassist and singer, Matthew Weir

Weir Celts!

Horo Haradala

produced by @https://soundcloud.com/roger-bashew
Penny whistle by @
https://soundcloud.com/bev-whelan
Violin and penny whistle arrangements by @https://soundcloud.com/trevor-du-buisson
Samhainn was an ancient Celtic festival, it marked the end of Autumn and the beginning of Winter. It was also called the festival of the dead. On this night, the ancient Celts believed that the veil between the living and the dead was lifted and you could ask them to intercede for you and ask them to show you the future and give you guidance.. this is my take on Samhainn

Samhainn

Samhain

The Fabulous penny whistle on this track is by @https://soundcloud.com/bev-whelan
Violin and pennywhistle arrangements by @https://soundcloud.com/trevor-du-buisson
Produced by @https://soundcloud.com/roger-bashew

Sweet Earth

I was born in Scotland and raised mostly in South Africa, but I have a deep connection with my Celtic roots.  Scottish and Celtic folklore are common themes in the songs I write, for example, my songs  'Warriors Cry' and 'The Clan MacDonald'.   In the past year after going through personal hardships like breast cancer and losing my beloved brother, my songwriting took on a darker tone, as you can see in the songs Death be not Proud, Stay a wee While, and Long Shadows. I am currently working on new projects which will be available shortly.

Christine Weir

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