My song 'Lights' is 10 years old this year. When I wrote it for Harbour Lights Community Choir in Amble, I had no idea that it would be taken up by Sing for Water as one of their featured songs in 2017
be sung around the UK and be performed in many concerts. It has been played on Radio Newcastle as part of a Listening Project series, as one of the favourite songs of a contributor to the series. I am very proud to say that other choir leaders have taken it as one of their staple songs, and conduct and teach it better than I do, as was apparent at our Big Sing for the RNLI in Berwick in June this year.
I remember the genesis of it; I was driving between Warkworth and Amble in late Autumn and noticed the swans on the river next to the road change direction and begin floating backwards as the tide turned. I shivered as I imagined hurrying down towards the harbour in a brisk November wind.... At that time I didn't know Amble very well, and had no idea I would start leading their community choir a few years later. Now, I love the town and especially the people - indeed, although I don't live there, I regard the choir and town as my community.
'Lights' is about Amble but is also about any harbour town or village. It's about coming home, and finding shelter. It's also about the landscape and being able to breathe. Northumberland is an astonishingly beautiful county, it has space and light and sea and sky, unforgiving winds and harsh weather. It has fantastic and funny people, and it is my home.
If anyone is interested in singing it with their choir or teaching it at a workshop, you will find it in my song shop on my website.
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