Lyr/Tune Req: Song about Aberfan by George Holden

Subject: Aberfan Words & music
From: Greenm
Date: 07 Oct 09 - 02:12 PM

Just after the Aberfan disaster a school teacher who was also a "leader" in a youth club in Eccles (Manchester) wrote, with the help of his pupils, the most moving song of the disaster. I have searched for many years for this song and just yesterday I discovered the name of the teacher in question; he was George Holden. Is there anyone out there who remembers George or knows where he is today or has the words and music to the song in question.

Subject: RE: Aberfan Words & music
From: Leadfingers
Date: 07 Oct 09 - 08:20 PM

If you put Aberfan in Search , there are a HEAP of threads and several fifferent songs posted !

Subject: RE: Aberfan Words & music
From: GUEST
Date: 21 May 12 - 01:47 PM

the guy who wrote this song is called bernie fairlamb from bolden, now known as bernie lamb, in america, still playing

Subject: RE: Aberfan Words & music
From: Leadfingers
Date: 22 May 12 - 01:16 PM

Guest -There are a number of dfferent Aberfan songs , I have been doing Bernie's song for forty years now , and its NOT the George Holden one

Subject: Lyr Add: ABERFAN (Bernie Fairlamb)
From: Leadfingers
Date: 22 May 12 - 02:00 PM

Bernie Fairlamb's song

          ABERFAN -- Bernie Fairlamb

Am                           G
Black is the life of a mining man,
                      Am                     Em
In the bowels of the earth with a pick and a lamp
               Am             C
Black is the life of a mining man
                   G            Am
And Black is the memory of Aberfan


That Friday morning in a little Welsh town
A man made mountain came tumbling down
It came down the hillside like a giant black hand
And plucked all the children from Aberfan

In the little brick schoolhouse children laughed sang and played
When down came that mountain that mining men made
More than a hundred lives lost before they began
A lost generation in Aberfan

A heartbroken Mother stood watching in dread
As men brought out children all broken and dead
She'd stood at the PitHead to weep for her man
Now gone two of her children in Aberfan

The graves on the hillside stretch over the town
That a man made mountain brought to world renown
They stretch out as far as the eye can scan
There lie the children of Aberfan

So come all you miners who cut the rough coal
Dont take the life of another young soul
Bury your waste as deep as you can
Lest you bury your children like Aberfan

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Song about Aberfan by George Holden
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 May 13 - 09:32 AM

I am refreshing this thread, after giving it a new title to emphasize the fact that the original question was NOT answered.

I have seen this happen often, and it dismays me: someone asks a question, and someone else who apparently didn't read the question carefully posts a spurious answer, and thereafter everyone ignores the question.

I'm hoping we can do better.

A Google search for "George Holden" and Aberfan turned up nothing useful.

Greenm posted recently at Mudcat although his posts are very infrequent.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Song about Aberfan by George Holden
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 May 13 - 11:48 AM

On 17-Mar-2009, Greenm wrote in another thread:

I am constantly attempting to recover songs I have actually performed in the past, one of which was back in the mid-sixties shortly after the Aberfan disaster. A member of a group I was involved with (the free folk) Phil (can't remember his second name) who was a teacher asked his class to think about the disaster and how they feel about that fact that it was a school just like theirs. One pupil wrote a poem which Phil put to music and as I remember it was one of the most moving songs I have ever encountered.

A slim chance I know, but does anyone out there remember hearing this song or even more unlikely have the words & music. This all took place in Eccles, Manchester where with the Free Folk (Stewart, Ewan & Phil) we started a Folk Club in the Cross Keys (and later moved on to the Duke of York).

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Song about Aberfan by George Holden
From: GUEST,#
Date: 08 Apr 21 - 05:48 PM

One question: who is the song ascribed to??

In the OP it was George Holden and in the previous post the same poster says it's Phil (nln)??