Wonderful Winter solstice gathering songs

Subject: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 20 Nov 20 - 11:35 PM

We're looking for some traditionally based songs, not necessarily Christmas carols, about gatherings for the winter solstice. We are already including Drive Cold Winter Away and possibly Drive Dull care Away. This is for a UU service. Songs about customs at the time are also of interest. Suggestions are welcome.

Subject: RE: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: Helen
Date: 21 Nov 20 - 12:17 AM

The first album I thought of is Robin Williamson:
Winter's Turning .

It might be relevant to your request.

Apart from anything else it is a beautiful album. (A bit of a mindtrip comparing the whacky and weird RW in Incredible String Band with his ethereal harp performances!)

Subject: RE: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: oldhippie
Date: 21 Nov 20 - 08:05 AM

"Solstice" by Bjork

When your eyes
Pause on the ball
That hangs on the third branch
From the star
You remember why it is dark
And why it gets light again
The earth like the hearts
Slopes in its seat
And like that it travels
Along an elliptical path
Drawn into the darkness
An unpolished pearl
In the sky black in palm of hand
Flickering sun flame
And then you remember
That you yourself
You are a light bearer, a light bearer
Receiving radiance from others
Flickering sun flame
Unpolished earth in the palm of hand

Subject: RE: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: Long Firm Freddie
Date: 21 Nov 20 - 09:59 AM

Solstice Bells by Jethro Tull:

Solstice Bells

LFF

Subject: RE: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: Mrrzy
Date: 21 Nov 20 - 11:27 AM

I amended PP&Ms The Magi for the silstice:

The Magnon

Ancient humans came from darkness and they spread across the planet
They saw the sky above them, and they learned to find their way
Out of ignorance and shadow to the hope of human kindness
They were strengthened by the knowledge that they gathered every day
And the wise all spoke of peace on earth, of harmony and struggle
Now another cycle's gone, and a new one will begin
On this darkest day of winter, when we recall that Spring will come again
On the darkest day of winter, we cherish light with green and kith and kin...
Well now, each of us must travel, yes, we all must take a journey
It seems the time is telling us to use all we can know
To help lift up the fallen and to sow the seeds of goodness
The torch has passed among us now to light the way to go
For our hearts are as a chalice, and our dreams are of the sunlight
They burn away the darkness as we kiss 'neath mistletoe
Unlike eagles, flying higher, unlike rivers down a canyon
When diamond stars shine down on us, we know whereof they glow...
And the wise still speak of peace on earth, of harmony and struggle
Yet another cycle's gone, and a new one will begin
On the darkest day of winter, when we recall that Spring will come again
On the darkest day of winter, we cherish light with green and kith and kin...

Subject: RE: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: GUEST,Modette
Date: 21 Nov 20 - 01:11 PM

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNNwQ85xoxU

Subject: RE: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 21 Nov 20 - 03:37 PM

Check the list of related threads at the top of the page!

Subject: RE: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 21 Nov 20 - 04:34 PM

a' Ghrian [I'll try to remember to come back to this thread with lyrics and translations)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXADESfBWXE
Kathleen Mac Innes with Cathy Ann McPhee, Gaelic lyrics on screen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDoguA3rKZA Rita Connolly (her husband Shaun Davey set the old lyrics to new music)

Subject: RE: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 21 Nov 20 - 06:50 PM

Halsway Schottische & Halsway Carol
In October 2011, Nigel Eaton composed a melody and named it 'Halsway'.
PDFs & info at
http://halsway.musicwebdesign.nl


Music by Nigel Eaton
Words by Iain Frisk
138 bpm

Lo for the tiding of the Long Night Moon
Let the sunrise call about the morning soon
Short is the biding of the fading light
Sing for the coming of the longest night

North wind tell us what we need to know
When the stars are shining on the midnight snow
All of the branches will be turned to white
Sing for the coming of the longest night

A winter day, the summer grass turned hay
Frost in the field 'til the dawn of May
A summer's light never shone as great or as bright
So dance in the shadows of a winter's night

Lo for the tiding of the Long Night Moon
May the harvest last until the springtime bloom
Home is our comfort at the winter's height
Sing for the coming of the longest night

All of the colours of the sunrise sky
Shine a light upon us, as the day goes by
Sunsetting shadows fading out of sight
Sing for the coming of the longest night

A winter day, the summer grass turned hay
Frost in the field 'til the dawn of May
A summer's light never shone as great or as bright
So dance in the shadows of a winter's night


. . . . . . . . .
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported
License. To view a copy of this license, visit
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/.

Subject: RE: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: GUEST,Wheatman
Date: 22 Nov 20 - 02:42 AM

Penny for the plough boys

Subject: RE: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: Mrrzy
Date: 22 Nov 20 - 10:26 AM

Also both Dance With The Dragon and Trees in the Woodland by Anne Lister on Waiting For The Hero. Dance is more solstice, Trees is more seasons.

Subject: RE: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: Felipa
Date: 22 Nov 20 - 12:07 PM

"A' Ghrian" (the Sun) lyrics and translations now on Mudcat at https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=168919

Subject: RE: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: Felipa
Date: 22 Nov 20 - 12:11 PM

Canticle of the Sun is a Christian song with relevance to solstice and to reverence for nature
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=22904

Subject: RE: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 22 Nov 20 - 12:34 PM

Make a vow when Solstice comes:
To find the Light in everyone
Keep the faith and bang the drum
On the longest night of the year

So keep me safe and hold me tight,
Let the candle burn all night,
Tomorrow welcome back the light.
'Twas the longest night of the year

Mary Chapin Carpenter

Subject: RE: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 22 Nov 20 - 03:15 PM

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Subject: RE: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: Mrrzy
Date: 25 Nov 20 - 05:47 PM

And duh, Deck The Halls!

Subject: RE: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: Mrrzy
Date: 29 Nov 20 - 12:08 PM

That was great, Phil and Susan. A very different tune than PP&M's but I really liked it!

Subject: RE: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: mg
Date: 29 Nov 20 - 06:30 PM

beautiful winter song.i recommend listening to every youtube version of this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwm4GbXpvoI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwm4GbXpvoI

Subject: RE: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 30 Nov 20 - 11:27 AM

I'm afraid that we folk processed the tune a bit. I listened to the original version and got the chords online from a guitar site. But between doing the noodling in DADGAD instead of standard tuning and Susan adapting the melody, we got what we got. Susan has said she gets shivers singing the words, so you did a great job.

Subject: RE: Winter solstice gathering songs
From: Mrrzy
Date: 01 Dec 20 - 11:16 AM

I am so glad. And I *liked* your version, no apologies necessary! Folk that process, yay!

Subject: RE: Wonderful Winter solstice gathering songs
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Dec 20 - 02:29 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: Wonderful Winter solstice gathering songs
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 04 Dec 20 - 03:42 PM

Here is one of my all-the favorites, beloved of many Mudcatters: The Comfort of Singing Voices, aka Until the Dark Time Ends Written by Alouette Iselin of Nelson, New Hampshire USA.

I know of so many others, but don't have links to recordings of them. I'll see what I can come up with.

Subject: RE: Wonderful Winter solstice gathering songs
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 18 Dec 22 - 08:31 PM

^ Halsway Schottische & Halsway Carol
21 Nov 20 - 06:50 PM

link is dead.
Possibly better to do a search for music & words
https://www.google.com/search?q=halsway+pdf+nigel+eaton

_____________
btw
though the tune is written v v ch v v ch
to make it more straightforward and because the chorus is rather nice* I tend to sing ch v ch v ch etc

Subject: RE: Wonderful Winter solstice gathering songs
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 30 Dec 22 - 05:03 AM

Steeleye Span - The Unconquered Sun