Great song, great collaboration ! 🙏🍀😍🎧🎶

This came on after one of my tracks... on auto Mark... good find... interesting lyrics indeed!

Enjoying this harmonica work... relate to wind instruments.

Yes as you said like two press ganged sailors in a tavern.... this is also reinfoced by your use of congas.

Comes on automatically after my "Into the Light" Wild Orchids.... so back for another listen, Mark.  :)

Touching harp and vocals... compelling story! I love it!

Dan https://soundcloud.com/progrockdan1 is one of the most inventive and exciting people to collaborate with on SC. If you haven't heard his work before you should check out his cloud. Mark

Collaborations with ProgRockDan1 (and Oorlab)

My idea for the subject matter came from Dan saying the music made him think of mountains and water. In my head I made a leap to a human story I knew of a mother and son who waited for much of WWII at a tiny seaport (Kyle of Lochalsh) in the North Western Highlands of Scotland to occasionally see the husband/father who was on mine sweeping missions with the Arctic convoys. Life expectancy was 6 months but he returned safely. This story would work just as well as a scenario for a fishing village where all the men had been gone for days during a storm.

I can't thank Dan enough for his inspirational piece that triggered these words and likewise Dick made this sound so emotionally charged with his fiddle and harmony vocals. I am greatly indebted to my collaborators for making this possible with endless patience and skill.

Please check out their wonderful clouds. https://soundcloud.com/dan-lockhart/by-the-waters-edge-with-mark-bennett-oorlab-with-video-link
All Music (except for Violin), Vocal - https://soundcloud.com/dan-lockhart
Violin, Harmony Vocal and Video - https://soundcloud.com/oorlab
Lyrics, Vocal and Artwork - me 

Video link - http://youtu.be/UAfy0vtMmsc


By the water’s edge,
All her thoughts are out at sea,
The child in her arms belongs to he,
He who’s gone

Ev’ry storm is a pain in her heart,
Waiting for news that would tear her apart,
Of he who’s gone
By the water’s edge

She is not alone in her wait,
All the women share her fate,
By the water’s edge

Tears of joy from all on the shore,
The ship is home once more.
By the water’s edge

By The Water's Edge (with Dan Lockhart & oorlab) with Video link

Hot on the heels of 'By The Water's Edge', Dan came up with another maritime sounding arrangement that he was keen to share with Dick Vestdijk and myself. The original music was very inspiring and my immediate suggestion was on the theme of 'impressment' - the press-ganging of sailors into naval service against their will. No sooner had I suggested this than Dick had drafted a great start to the fine lyric we have now. I added a verse then Dick completed the lyric and delivered a guide vocal that took my breath away. I thought we should leave it at that, however we all continued to work on multiple versions with a variety of arrangements and vocal set-ups. What we were seeking was something organic and natural sounding, as if a couple of sailors were singing in a tavern about their life at sea, surrounded by other impressed seamen. The quality of musicianship, imagination and patience that Dan and Dick brought to this continues to astound me. As well as their generosity and skill, they really are great guys to collaborate with. I look forward to many more projects.

I'm sure Dan and Dick will gladly respond to any comments posted here. Thanks for taking the time to listen.
 
Original Music, All Other Instrumentation and Final Mix - https://soundcloud.com/dan-lockhart
Guitar, Harmonica, Lyrics, Vocals and Vocal Melody - https://soundcloud.com/oorlab
Additional Lyrics and Vocals - me
 
Also attached is a link to a beautiful video made by https://soundcloud.com/oorlab
- https://youtu.be/I2mUn3yWxPs
 
They took me from the harbour,
 
While I was still asleep,
 
Chained and gagged and bent and ragged,
 
Human turned to sheep.
 


In the days of impressment,
 
Flogging instead of caressment,
 
A captain cruel, an empire’s tool
 
... ship of fools.



Though the sails are torn,
 
The bow cleaves straight,

For the Equator.
 
Unto its fate.
 


The King's shilling will be my lot,
 
My fate's sailing, willing or not,
 
The wind's ailing and I've been bought.
 
The wind’s ailing, It's come to naught.



This coin of treason,

Was in my cup,

The pressgang thugs will never stop,

My love, the world's a station, cruel & dim,

Where is the truth & dignity,

How can this law be for the free?

The King's shilling will be my lot



They robbed me from my hometown,

And pressed me on their ship,

Forced to fight their dirty war,

Slave under their whip,


In the days of impressment,

No law forbade his arrestment,

Sailor’s freedom for what it’s worth,

Where is the justice on this earth?

In the days of impressment.



The King's Shilling Will Be My Lot (with Dan Lockhart & Oorlab) + videolink

Like "The King's Shilling Will Be My Lot' this song started with a maritime theme from Dan, to which Dick found the highly original subject of Napoleon's jailor on the island of Saint Helena. There are conspiracy theories (rumours of arsenic poisoning, etc) about what really happened in Napoleon's last years, although both sides of the story are well documented. Dick was inspired by some research he made via the British Library's website. For more information follow these links -
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Lowe
http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Napoleons-Exile-on-St-Helena/

It is always a pleasure to get the opportunity to work with such wonderful collaborators. Please check out their clouds if you haven't already. This will become part of a set of songs that relate to nautical themes with more to follow soon.

Original Music, All Other Instrumentation - @dan-lockhart
Guitar, Violin, Additional Drums, Lyrics, Vocals, Vocal Melody, Final Mix and Video - @oorlab
Additional Lyrics, Vocals and Artwork - me

Link to video - youtu.be/_PVXdPRpitc

Hudson Lowe took his ship
To horizons far & wide, 
As long as he was sailing,
He felt no need to hide,

Fighting for King & country,
God & honour ran through his veins,
Securing domains,
In campaigns,
With the insane.

Writing letters from quarters,
Beyond the sea,
From an island full of rats,
And devoid of trees.
The Emperor still conniving,
For an escape, that he was striving.

Hudson Lowe
So long ago
Played his part,
In this final act

The Emperor & his jailor,
Prisoners in time, 
Six times met face to face,
In Longwood’s walls of his disgrace 
The Corporal was waiting 
For his final hour,
Using his power,
The Ferryman’s come.

Endless streams of blood,
In Europe's ground, Europe's soul. 
This prison below the equator,
For them both, it would take its toll.

Where is the purpose,
Of rising through the ranks,
When your ship is stranded,
On history's treacherous banks.

Yet Hudson Lowe
So long ago
Played his part,
In this final act
Hudson Lowe
Long ago
Played his part,
Final show.

The Ballad Of Hudson Lowe (with Dan Lockhart and Dick Vestdijk)+videolink

Another song to add to our collection of 'Songs from the Sea'. As before, Dan offered a slow celtic air, which had such a beautiful melody that it felt like a 'boat song'. I was inspired to write a lyric about the herring fishing industry that was once so important to so many nations. Dick and Dan added some more lyrics, then the tempo had to quicken to convey the joy of the fishermen returning home and once it had all three of us singing, it began to really take shape. Thank you for taking the time to listen and comment.

Original Music, All Other Instrumentation, Vocals, Additional Lyrics, Final Mix - @dan-lockhart
Guitar, Violin, Vocals, Additional Lyrics - @oorlab
Vocals, Lyrics and Artwork - me
The image, I believe to be of 'Herring Girls' in Scarborough, North Yorkshire but I can't be sure and unfortunately I have no source to thank and credit either.

Sunrise on the horizon,
Beyond tired and cold,
Dawn begins to brighten,
Homeward if this course we hold
'Til we roam again

Homeward, 
Landward,
With our nets full,
Of the silver darlings

With only wood and nails,
Between us and peril,
With the wind in our sails,
And herring for the barrel,
'Til we roam again.

Homeward, 
Landward,
With our nets full,
Of the silver darlings

Neptune and Saint Peter,
Bring us to the shore,
Bounty from the ocean
Harvest the sea once more
'Til we roam again.

Homeward, 
Landward,
With our nets full,
Of the silver darlings

Homeward, 
Landward,
Home

The Silver Darlings (with Dan Lockhart & Dick Vestdijk)

Using Paul Revere's famous night-time ride alerting people of the coming of the red coats, Light The Lanterns serves as a contemporary warning to light the lanterns again, this time, for the enemy within the US Administration.
Smart people doing wrong always perplexes me.
Religious people supporting wrong raises concerns about faith claims of following truth.
Political parties  and governments oppressing people causes alarms to ring out.

Track 10 from the 2025 Album called Fringe, available at https://www.terrywigmore.com/wigmore-allen-gibbons

Light The Lanterns

V1
In a world that's confusing
When the Sheriffs are the bad guys
When the ones with the masks on
Are putting cuffs on the good guys
When the ones being locked up
May be the ones that we needed

Chorus
If you have a keen mind, then mind how you use it
If you've got a mean spirit, you don't have to use it/ abuse it


V2 
When they tax the poor ones,
And give it back to the rich ones
When the constitution becomes
the  whim of a convicted felon
Maybe it's time for Paul Revere 
to light the lantern ( to light the lanterns)

Chorus
If you have a keen mind, then mind how you use it
If you've got a mean spirit, you don't have to use it/ abuse it

How can something wrong, seem so right, for some 
Right for some (yeah yeah)yeah yeah
How can something wrong, seem so right, for some
Right for some 
Something wrong was right
Something wrong not right
Something wrong but right
Something

Wigmore: Lyrics, Vocals, Music, Production
Allen: Lyrics, Vocals, Guitars, Bass

Wigmore Allen Gibbons - Light The Lanterns

I'm very honored by Stefan Kraft's  lovely orchestration of my piano piece. Thank you so much, Stefan!   Listen to more of his musical gems @stefankraft_music.

Waiting At My Window / Stefan Kraft & Debra Buesking

This is an original song by '55 Stars' and celebrates all of '55 Stars' tracks lyrically to the music of his 41st track

Keep them coming Istvan and thanks for your music man 🫡✨

Connect with 55 Stars here:
#SoundCloud
https://on.soundcloud.com/ZdNS2Exc59MsApOOdM


Number one 'Gray Something'
To two 'Sunset'
Quite 'Lenient' to three
'Wind of Mountain' four fetched
'Covert' queued five
'Lustre' six ears hive
Seven 'Yaw' for pitch
Eight 'Lour' frown we stitch
Nine 'Wan' buys yeast
Ten 'Back Scatter' vibe feast
'Neap' eleven mean tidal
Twelve 'Storm before silence'
Tincture thirteen found 'Vert'
'Hem' fourteen we flirt
'Vast', It's K's with fifteen
'Kip' memories our pure sixteen
Seventeen 'Dawn' from Lab
Eighteen 'Rill' some trickle had
'Keel' nineteen lake is dry
'Sear' twenty clouded sky
Twenty One flowers are 'Livid'
Twenty two 'Knar' knot pivot
Twenty Three 'Dim' dreamy find
Twenty Four prunes 'Pinto' to mind
'Mire' finds mend as twenty five
Twenty six calm 'Cal' alive
Twenty seven 'Skim' skinny wicked whip
Twenty eight trees taking a 'Dip'
Blair witch 'Vent' twenty nine
Lucid 'Stark' tuned thirty chime
Thirty one 'Cleft' mammoth tree
'Sheer' thirty two bird, Rest in peace
Thirty three 'Gray something Mkll'
'Rind' thirty four nerves grew
Thirty five 'Ooze' music fix
'Sunset Mkll' fueled thirty six
Due thirty seven as 'Dew'
Thirty Eight tree curve tune 'Talus' woo
Yearn 'Yarn' vortex of thirty nine
'Leer' on the sly for forty time
It's '41st' for forty one
55 Stars
Earth tuned to song

41 from 55

this is another track , written, played and recorded while Netta was visiting from Norway….cheers for having a listen and your support👍

Who Can Say

Remind me of that song again
The one that has the saddest end
you know it too, you sang it to me
Long ago

Got me thinking about that time.
When I was yours and I had mine
Now we just live somewhere in the past
mmmm

Whatever happened to those days?
Nothing ever stays the same
Could it be the one that got away?
Who can say?

I could plan for days and days
There must be a thousand ways
That I could try and make you see
That you belong here with me

I dont really worry now
tomorrow made up it’s mind
And today feels like an only friend
and yesterday left us behind
again

Who Can Say

Hello. So funny, as years ago I was jamming with a bunch of friends and I asked Allen what he was playing on guitar when we took a break. He said… it’s a simple farming song. I laughed as the melody was great. Maybe most of my songs have been simple farming songs. This one definitely is. It came about after I was exploring some overdriven slide guitar, trying to work up a heavy Blues tune. None of that was panning out, so I just grabbed the Dobro and kept it simple. Everything about the song just fell into place, to include some vocal shenanigans. In other news, I’ve got a long chore list to get after before the snow flies. One quick chore was climbing up on the garage and shoveling Bandit’s droppings off the roof by the apple tree he loves. Bandit is a raccoon. It also gave me a chance to pick some apples on the branches that overhang the roof. I left more apples than I picked… for Bandit and the deer that come in here… Bandit likes apples and unknowingly helps to fertilize the apple tree. Everyone pulls their weight down here on the farm. Hahahaha. Birds are migrating through in waves now. I sit out on the porch in an old chair and watch them. Sometimes I get to see a bird or two I haven’t seen before and look in the field guide to try and ID it. So there’s a bit of ornithology going on ‘round here too. Anyway, I hope you’re doing well wherever you are, with whatever you’re doing these days. Thanks for dropping by for a spell. Mark

Down Here On The Farm

Just an idea that after a life changing moment a person still pursues their religion of music creation

The Apostle

autumn leaves

09/07/2025

Aint Broke

Broke my rot.... Decided to write one about the heart and it stuck. Had a good few days of everything I tried sounding the same and needed that reset ❤️‍🔥 Thanks Heart 🫡

If we are lucky enough to grow old it will beat around three billion times and pump 159 million litres of blood through itself and around our body. What a beast 🫀
I'm trying to make sense or pay homage to the filterer it is for morals. In conjunction with a well wired head it's the feelings in our chest that work with the brain it seems to deliver our morals and absorb and deliver that well felt empathy we share. I guess it's our experience of pain and pleasure that we know and the love we have for eachother which allows that empathy flourish solidifying our shared morals. Or we let apathy mute it. Either way its the shared experience that delivers them to us and the natural knock on effect of us knowing we don't like pain and knowing others don't either... so ego aside... Morals should be the easy bit haha!
What happened.... 😆



Heart

Heart
Beat
Heart
Beat

Huge human heart
Filterer of feelings
Fear sent below
Love flow to cranium ceilings
Three billion beats
Spark to grim reaper
One million barrels as blood pump speaker

Heart
Beat
Heart
Beat

Humans of heart
Beings of brave
Lumens like lark
Virtuous made
Body seer of moral
The feeler of feel
Fuelled well being of wise
Good stealer of steel

Heart
Beat
Heart
Beat

Governor of grief
Body seer of empathy
Good decider of right
If mind tend peremptory
Four chambers chime
Tuned to physical realm
Feeder of conscious through feelings to helm

Heart
Beat
Heart
Beat
Heart
Beat
Heart
Beat

Heartbeat
Beat deceit
Heartbeat
Be that empathy
Heartbeat
Beat deceit
Heartbeat
Be that empathy

Heart

A fusion of my electronic work and Jack Morefields guitar work

Spiralling by Jack and Mike

The story of Grace Darling to me as a child felt like the ultimate example of female heroism imaginable. This year celebrates the bicentenary of her birth. For more information on her life please visit these links –
http://www.gracedarling.co.uk
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Darling
http://rnli.org/aboutus/historyandheritage/museums/Pages/Grace-Darling-Museum.aspx

This song was different from most of our other collaborations in the way it developed. It started from a lyric for almost all of the song from myself, which Dick added to, especially in the chorus as well as coming up with the music and vocal melody. Dan came on board later with backing vocals and more instrumentation as well as the final mix.

I’d like to thank Dan and Dick yet again for their patience and creativity and for enabling me to realise this piece. I’d also like to thank some other fellow Soundclouders from the North of England for some invaluable advice whilst we were researching this subject -
https://soundcloud.com/the-secret-red-orchestra
https://soundcloud.com/sciencebase
and https://soundcloud.com/gibson-j-4-5

Mark J Bennett – Lyrics, Vocals, Artwork
https://soundcloud.com/dan-lockhart – Backing vocals, Mandolin, Bass and Final Mix
https://soundcloud.com/oorlab – Music, Additional Lyrics, Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Drums and Video.

Videolink - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V31JV3Bqz8&feature=youtu.be

Witnessing the wreck from her window,
Showed her mettle when facing peril.
With her father, she braved the storm
Little thought of fear or harm.
Survivors clamour for dear life,      
On half a ship as if cut by a knife.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
A ray of hope, when all else fades.

Rowed a mile in a Northumbrian coble,
Was an act so selfless and noble.
They rescued four men and Sarah Dawson,
Too late for the vicar and her children.
Newspapers clamour for her story,
And bathe in her reflected glory.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
A ray of hope, when all else fades.

Eighteen were saved from the sixty-two, 
Gifts and donations they did accrue,
From circus, Duke and even the Queen.
Such fuss, they could not have foreseen.
Artists clamour for her likeness,
Yet something faded from her brightness.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
A ray of hope, when all else fades.

Unwanted celebrity was hard to maintain,
The pressures of fame, proved a strain.
Already reclusive on her island retreat,
Her admirers became indiscreet.
Visitors clamour for a token,
Grace’s calm, forever broken.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
A ray of hope, when all else fades.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.


Grace Be Brave (with Dan Lockhart & Dick Vestdijk)+Videolink

Dear listener, Feel free to leave comments and I'll try to reply.

I've been making music for around 16 years now but because of the wonderfully generous community that is SC, I have learned so much in a short time. I look forward to learning even more by collaborating. 
I suppose my strengths are in lyric-writing and singing. I feel fortunate to have been able to work with some stunning compositions by some very talented SCers.

My very best to you, Mark

Some links to recent Continental Collision streaming sites, etc are available below:

The King's Shilling Will Be My Lot (with Dan Lockhart & Oorlab) + videolink

markjbennett

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