Song from the time when first I moved to Devon and didn't know many folks here. Spending much time in my basement with lush damp fender rhodes and song ideas. This inspired by my screensave photo (always selected by my offspring) of friend Bar asleep in a blanket in New Zealand. I saw him every morning as I came downstairs. I don't see him very often now.

Blanket

I've been thinking about Triathlon Training for some time, and now my son Frank says he is thinking of it. I imagine he might get further than thinking of it. I was given a book on it once, which I haven't yet read. Probably my advice in the song is not the same advice as in the book. This is a song in case Frank (or anyone else for that matter) needs it on their Triathlon training programme. I am not a qualified Triathlon trainer. All rights reserved.

TRIATHLON TRAINING

When you start swimming
You don’t know how long
You can keep on swimming
On and on and on
There is nothing 
Stopping you from swimming
Can you keep on swimming
On and on and on

When you start cycling
You don’t know how long
You can keep on cycling
On and on and on
There is nothing 
Stopping you from cycling
Can you keep on cycling
On and on and on

When you start running
You don’t know how long
You can keep on running
On and on and on
There is nothing 
Stopping you from running
Can you keep on running
On and on and on

On and on and on and on
Swimming, cycling and running
On and on and on and on
Swimming, cycling and running…

When you start swimming
You need some stuff
Like goggles and a wetsuit
But it’s never going to be enough

When you start cycling
You need some stuff
Like a bike and a helmet
But it’s never going to be enough

When you start running
You need some stuff
Like trainers and a strava
But it’s never going to be enough

On and on and on and on
Swimming, cycling and running
On and on and on and on
Swimming, cycling and running…


Thanks be to Caroline who took on the Mickie Most role here.

Triathlon Training

The last summer session of the Aubergines involved us digging up some instruments that we had buried in St Lukes gardens 6 weeks earlier. The melodicas were filled with soil and to begin with only a few notes played, the traingle seemed unscathed by the whole event, but the real revelation was the gourd shaker, which had been included in the ritual because it sounded so quiet/odd anyhow, and then to discover that the shaking was made by paper!


A SHAKER FILLED WITH PAPER

A shaker filled with paper
Doesn’t make sense
And yet
It exists

Bury the shaker filled with paper 
That makes small sounds
In the ground
And wait

Unearth the shaker 
Six weeks later
The paper’s damper
And the sounds are quieter

The shaker breaks open
We will see what is written
Words or illustrations
And when it breaks open
Revealing in latin
Human anatomy

Thomasin takes it home
To dry it out
And then translate

A Shaker Filled With Paper

New Geological Song by Hugh Nankivell and Steve Sowden, written for the Geoplay park as part of the English Riviera Global Geopark in Torbay. Sung by Ellen Nankivell and a choir from Curledge Street Academy in Paignton. 

We tried to represent all the four main geological eras that have contributed to our environment (Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian and Quaternary) with different instrumentation (25 instruments played in total) 

So spin back, slide back and jump the tide of time 
(geoplay in the geoplaypark)
We’re changing all the time - it’s fine 	
(geoplay in the geoplaypark)
And change is what made us - it’s not so strange	
(geoplay in the geoplaypark)
The sea, the land, the sky will always change

Geoplay

Hope Is what you can see when you can see further than what you can see

Hope is what you can see when you can see further than what you can see

organ, piano, electric piano, singing, more singing 

words and music by hugh nankivell - bristol november 2023

Hope

A last day of November song, before the coming of advent.

Piano stool cover made for me by my mum Muriel.

Closing Down

Your violence and your hellos
Your violins and your 'cellos

Viola

Travel to Brooklyn - by Hugh Nankivell

Vocals - Ellen Nankivell
Snare drum, sticky tape, backing vocals - Steve Sowden
Fender rhodes, nord, toy piano, viola, shakers, backing vocals - Hugh Nankivell

written by HN 2/3 March 2015 and recorded and arranged by HN and SS, mixed and remixed by SS in Torquay and Paignton 4/5/6 March 2015.

written as a challenge for the London Song Company

enjoy


Travel To Brooklyn

Song by Pete Moser for the Haytor View 'ON THE ROOF' Project, where friendly folks are writing songs using titles provided by the four and five year old children after they went up onto the balcony and looked south. Thanks very much to everyone for writing these songs and sharing them with the school.

THE BIRDS ARE FLYING


I want to sing like the birds sing		sing on the wing...
I want to fly like the birds fly		why fly why fly...
I want to peck like the birds peck		pick peck pick peck...
I want to swim like the birds swim	swim swim swim...
I want to nest like the birds nest		rest in a nest rest in a nest...
I want to feed like the birds feed		birds feed on birds seed...

what else can birds do?


By Pete Moser 

The Birds Are Flying

I am acquiring a pianet, at the moment it is on approval, and tonight made an islet piece with it, just to celebrate the pianet living with me.

Pianet Islets

A song that came in a dream towards the end of the Agatha Christie festival. The members of the church of Ezekiel are hampered in their athletic prowess by having to (at all times) wear a stone table on their back.

Agathaland

Stone Tablet

One of four new songs to arrive this week. On the back of Grinagog and Dancing on Eggshells. back to the 7 groove.

How To Win

New song at the end of lots of health related projects in Torquay. Lots of help from Harry and Steve. Thanks to Grinagog also. Picture at Dawlish Warren yesterday sunrise.

96 Ways To Die

A series of songs only quoting Danny Dyer's very words. This is one called 'Danny Dyer's Mug'.

Danny Dyer

Danny Dyer's Mug

5 songs from lyrics found in Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. 

1 -  Nice Nice Very Nice
2 - Tyranny With A Difference
3 - A White Bride For The Son of a Pullman Porter
4 - Mona Thanks Me
5 - Calypso

Thanks indeed to the wonder that is Kurt Vonnegut.

Recorded in an afternoon using Laurie's bass (thanks Squid) and the floor tom he had out. One of the songs came out a little too much like a Hugh song so my 'producer' (thanks CT) suggested I re-write it with more of a Vonnegut twist. Not sure you will know which on it is, but that is surely the point.

Cats Cradle - 5 Bokonon Songs

Piano, viola, electric guitar, shaker and vocal rendition of a newly emerged song from just the other side of Torbay's famous rift valley.
One more time...

One More Time

My Care Home

I travelled across the backstop. One sign seemed to be splattered with blood. The connection of 13 beats and the untimely death of Mark Hollis is purely synchronistic.

Blood On The Backstop

Brief little outing on a 5/4 japanes palindrom - do you like Squid?

The Basic Rock Song

A day trip on Wednesday to Penzance with Ellen. We met Phyllis Ruby in the cafe at the Penlee art gallery. This is her song. 

Ruby - What's Yours?

The Natural Causes version of the song originally written and recorded on the day that Zuri was born in Paignton Zoo in 2007. This version with Chris Dowding on trumpet, Ben McCabe on drums and Pat Allison on bass. Hear the original on BBC Devon - it's still around. Enjoy and limited FREE download (as this song didn't make the cut on the last NC CD and Pat thinks shouldn't make the cut on any CD!) Recorded at Huddersfield with Scott.

Baby Black Rhino

A slow foxtrot written with Roland in Ashburton as part of the Blazing Tales Memorabilia project. Words by Roland as he talked to me, music by me. I didn't know what a slow Foxtrot was till yesterday. Piano, bass, drums, melodica, violas and voices. 

I Can Still Do It (a slow Foxtrot)

hello I'm Hugh - musician - living in Torquay with a guinea pig a tortoise and humans. 
Mostly I play the piano, but sometimes veer off onto the harmonium, accordion, xylophone, guitar, viola, melodica, flip camera and others. 
Currently working on the following music projects: The Shared Inventions (a duet with Steve Sowden devising a project about Oliver Heaviside), Natural Causes (geographically awkward quartet playing live music with films and songs about animals and humans), Trio of Men, (a flexible unit currently playing alternative versions of the Becks' 'Song Reader'), Twoones (making improvised videos and songs about birds with poet Peter Oswald and clarinet man Pat Allison) and the English Riviera Global Geopark (interpreting geology, geography and history through song and music.)

hugh nankivell

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