An unconscious exploration of the conflict and growth at the birth of a season, also the conflict within myself as I explore this art form further. I had no idea what was going to be explored within the music until it happened.
Helen x

Our process started off with a simple repeating chord progression on the piano for Helen to improvise over. We gradually added more elements once the vocal parts were complete and the final element is a field recording of the dawn chorus, recorded at 5am in our back garden.
Andy

Words and Music: Helen
Music and production: Andy

Impatient awakenings

Poverty
The "Schwabengehen", which finds its first mentions already in the 16th and 17th century, experienced its peak in the 19th century. It is estimated that at that time five to six thousand children worked annually on farms abroad as herd boys, maids or as farmhands. The background to this was the extremely low soil yields in the alpine regions and the associated poverty, which drove parents to send one or more of their numerous children abroad.

The Ways
The ways from Tyrol and Vorarlberg or from Switzerland to Upper Swabia were long and arduous. For some of the children, most of whom were between 5 and 14 years old, it led over mountain passes such as the Arlberg, which were usually still covered in snow in March and which many had to overcome with poor shoes and scanty clothing. Usually their companion was an adult, sometimes a priest, who made sure along the way that the children could settle down to sleep in warm stables and who negotiated prices at the markets. The construction of the Arlberg railroad in 1884 made the journey easier for the Tyrolean children.

The "children's markets" in Upper Swabia usually took place around Josephi (March 19). At Simon and Juda (end of October) or at the latest at Martini (November 11) they went back home. In the luggage were then the so-called "Doppelt Häs" (a double set of clothes from the headgear to the footwear) and, depending on the age and the negotiated price, a few guilders.

The Hütekinder arrived at the port of Friedrichshafen by ship from Bregenz. Since 1891, the central market place for the Hütekinder was in Karlstraße in Friedrichshafen. The children who were not placed traveled by train to Ravensburg to be placed there.

The work
In their homeland, Swabian children were exempted from compulsory schooling every year, and in the Kingdom of Württemberg the compulsory schooling that had existed there since 1836 did not apply to foreign children. The politically repeatedly demanded extension of compulsory schooling was prevented until 1921 by an Upper Swabian farmers' lobby.

Schwabenkinder (Swabian Children)

Sleeps on Fire

I’m dwelling on rocket fire
Piano fragments and twisted strings
Lady rag doll dead at the door
Dementor soldier with lips so thin

Sleep Killer’s messing with my head
Gotta rise up get a change of thought
Find a codeine and a TV show
My feet are cold and my tongues like chalk

Back in bed and it’s Mr Psycho
Ugly boss gotta face him away
And lady friend of the underground
We’ll be busted yeah maybe today

Sleeps on fire yeah
Sleeps on fire yeah

All the news is existential
Who’s going to go have kids today?
I’m rolling round my sheets are tenting
The latest vaccine is a throat spray

Sleeps on fire yeah
Sleeps on fire yeah

SLEEPS ON FIRE

« Far Horizons » for Flute & Piano - Live recording !
Duration : 2'50
Composed by hand writing in my home-studio from Friday, May 16 to Wednesday, May 18, 2022
VST score editing with Dorico 4
Recorded at the « Medieval parties » at the castle of Pomboz on Sunday, July 3, 2022 - F 73310 - Saint Pierre de Curtille by :
Franck Douvin : Flute (and composer of this piece)
Laurent Carle : Piano
Franck Douvin © 2022 Contemporary Chamber Music
Thanks for listening & sharing. I hope you'll enjoy!

« Far Horizons » for Flute & Piano - Live recording !

One of my older tracks, with an ethnic/folk flavor.

Evening In The Fields

Mark Duffield: voice, lyrics, vocal and harmony melodies  @markduffieldcollaboration

Jonathan Beckenstein: initial music, instruments, mix

There’s something in the words you say
That makes me want to be with you
There’s something in the way that you love
That makes me want to see it through

When you are sinking
You’re not thinking
(Oh, yay, Oh, yay, Oh, yay, Oh, Oh yay yay x2)

When something isn’t right
(something, isn’t wrong)
When something isn’t wrong
When it’s taking you over
(taking you over)
You’ve got to be smart
(got to be smart)
You’ve got to be bright 
(got to be bright)
(Or you’ll live your lie)
When you are sinking
You’re not thinking

Hustle up now,
Carry your eyes
Don’t walk, run
Something wicked this way comes

There’s something in the words you say
That makes me want to be with you
There’s something in the way that you love
That makes me want to see it through

When you are sinking
You’re not thinking
When you are sinking
You’re not thinking

Never change your mind
Never change your mind
Always change your mind
Always change your mind
Never change your mind
Never change your mind
You should always change your mind
Always change your mind
Always change your mind

Words You Say (with Mark Duffield)

Where Is Peace

Can you remember those stories
That your father used to tell
About those horned devils
Rising up from Hell
In the seven rings of Hades
In the abode of the dead
Can we cross the lake of fire
To where the departed dwell

And we all seek redemption
Though we call it different things
To be borne into our Heaven
Upon an angels wings
Trailing clouds of glory
Are we such foolish things
When the noble savage brings his justice
To the deposed kings

Oh they lie and they lie again
Tell me where is peace
There is no children's lantern left
Shining in the East

and we have no regrets we say
Then how can we atone
For the caravan of sin
And all the evil we have done
We all have gods of some sort
And we pay them in the end
We best pay some attention
To what all these signs portend

Oh they lie etc

Can the wizards spin their spell for you
Bring forth your voodoo doll
Drink your drink and lift your voice
Within Valhalla's halls
We all are hollow humans
Bereft of divine joy
As we drag those empty ideals
Within the gates of Troy








Will there be transubstantiation 
Of nonsense into truth
Can we make up the things we believe in
And not ask for the proof
We all are crazy suckers
When it comes down in the end
We invested our souls in those Ponzi schemes
For some extra dividend

Oh they lie etc

Where Is Peace

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitars played: Morris Nylon String in standard tuning
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
I thought it was time to start writing and recording some new songs, with a view to putting together a new solo album over the winter. For this song I have returned to my nylon string Morris guitar. Hope you like it!
LYRICS:
Sitting…. In my rocking chair
Rollin…….. with the beat
Pickin …..out a tune
Keeping time… tapping my feet

Maybe I’m getting old 
Maybe I’m getting slow 
Maybe things don’t seem like they used to do
Maybe, maybe not…. I don’t know 

Sitting….. in my rocking chair 
Close my eyes and see
All the places I have been
Just rollin … with the beat

Maybe I’m getting old 
Maybe I’m getting slow 
Maybe things don’t seem like they used to do
Maybe, maybe not…. I don’t know

My Rocking Chair

Blink Twice - Sterile

Zwischen

Music inspired by the dystopian futures of Blade Runner, I Robot and all the wonderful Science Fiction of the Past and Future.

NEXUS: LIFE UNDER GLASS

Melodic Electronic, Ambient, New Age, Progressive Rock.
I started composing in year 1991, with a Commodore Amiga computer. I released my works under the alias of Stun during that period, while being moderately active in the italian Amiga demoscene.
With time my setup evolved with more powerful computers and musical instruments. I also learned to play the electric guitar and the piano, and studied music theory.
On my SoundCloud profile you can find tracks from my early Amiga days, until my latest tracks, in a variety of genres.

Evening In The Fields

Thomas Becker