Around the world there are terrible events most days. We get to know about them quickly because of modern communications systems. And we are affected by them because we know about them in our time. The ones which occur nearer our home or ones where we may have had relatives, friends, or friends of friends affect us even more so, obviously. One such event has stuck in my mind is the tragedy at Aberfan. On last years anniversary -2009- I read out the words of a song -- it seemed to wash over most people. This year thanks to the kind offices of one of our number (he knows who he is ,but I'm sure he's far too modest to take any credit) I shall sing the song which is called GREY OCTOBER which parallels Aberfan and Thuy Dan in Vietnam on 21st October 1966.

Interestingly, 22nd October is the anniversary of the BLANTYRE mining tragedy (1877). Now it appears to me that "we" do not generally acknowledge this event. This of course happened before any of us were born. Which brings me back to Aberfan, very much in my mind, being over the age of 50; but for the people under 50 (and outsiders) maybe less than 25% of "us" would be able to relate to the Aberfan tragedy. In twenty or thirty years time Aberfan would become just another forgotten disaster like Blantyre.

I was just wondering what your views are on this kind of situation, how the passing of time affects our relationship to tragic events, and how song helps connect us to events. EG, I sing Hughie Jones "ELLAN VANNIN" and thus I feel a connection.

brad (in philosophical mood)