Month: February 2016

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Quick update – submissions, good news, real life stuff

Obsessed with Pipework issue 73

The big news this week is that we finally completed our purchase of the new flat, and we’re now wondering what we can afford to do to it in the five weeks before we move in. Within an hour of getting the keys I’d already stripped wallpaper from an entire wall – it came off so easily I think it was put on with Spray Mount. Honestly I could have rolled it back up and sold it on eBay. I’ll try not be a property bore here because I’ve started another blog dedicated to pretty much that.

Something to do with the heating
Does anyone even know what this is?

But on to the business of poetry … I’m really enjoying workshopping with my new buddies at the Hastings Poetry Stanza. The group was set up in 2014 by Antony Mair and he’s done a brilliant job of attracting an interesting group of motivated writers. There’s some fine talent east of here, and nice people too. Over in Brighton I’ve been attending a fortnightly poetry course at New Writing South led by John McCullough which has been great for introducing me to international poets and different styles, and for challenging me in my own writing.

Telltale Press has had to take a back seat as I’ve been full on with work and everything else lately but we have our lineup for the next Telltale & Friends event in Lewes on 13th April, more about that soon when I’ve done the flyers.

Some positive results of submissions: Helen Ivory published my knot/love poem ‘Tying the Bowline’ on Ink, Sweat & Tears last week, and thanks also to Charles Johnson of Obsessed with Pipework for taking two poems in the just-out issue 73.  Meanwhile I have a poem forthcoming in Prole called ‘Two Honeymoons’ which came  out of a retreat I did at Standen last March. I’m grateful to Brett Evans for his encouragement (and prompt response times!) Also forthcoming is a poem in the Paper Swans anthology ‘The Chronicles of Eve’, and I was excited and pleased to discover a lovely review of my pamphlet by Jan Fortune in Envoi 172  – “A fine new voice to watch.” There’s something to live up to.

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Music and words, what alchemy

When David Heard

I am singing for a funeral next week, in a quartet –  and although these are sad occasions, it is wonderful to be able to sing some beautiful music, and of course in such a charged setting. While re-acquainting myself with Byrd’s Ave Verum I found myself listening to the CD our group made in 2013, and I was reminded of the power of words plus music. I know, why would I need reminding?

Nevertheless I feel moved to post a link to the recording, at least of this track – a piece by Thomas Weelkes, an interesting character who was organist and director of music at Chichester Cathedral back in the day (the early 16th century), a troubled soul and not a ‘star name’ perhaps, but a composer of some wonderful music.

I sang on this recording but now I listen to it, it has its own life, and it strikes me yet again how the combination of music and words is so, so powerful. I can’t listen to the bass entry at 2.10 without my eyes pricking with tears. See what you think.

The words are from the bible, the book of Samuel, when King David sends his son Absalom into battle, asking that he be protected from the front line, but Absalom meets a terrible accident (worthy of Thomas Hardy) whereby his hair gets caught in the branches of a tree and he basically is hanged to death. David is brought the news and it’s heartbreaking.

“When David heard that Absalom was slain, he went up to his chamber and wept. And thus he said: Oh, my son! Absalom my son. Would God I had died for you.”