I have always enjoyed songs that tell a story—ballads and folksongs, of course, but also operas, oratorios, ballets, and musicals. Child ballad #54 is the Cherry Tree Carol. It tells an unorthodox version of the Christmas story—from Joseph’s point of view. I sing it here by myself, without even my trusty guitar, but my favorite way of singing is with others, as a duo, or choir, or the Bloomington Chamber Singers. I share this old ballad and some photos as a tribute to some of the many people I have enjoyed singing with over the years. Thanks, everyone. Singing together is such a joy!
I know there are plenty of political ads out there, but I have always preferred books. Many of the people I am most willing to put my faith in as leaders have offered some of their ideas in book form, giving us a source we can think about, argue with, and return to as we wish. I hope they have the opportunity to serve as the leaders we so clearly need right now. Some years ago I wrote a song celebrating some of the outstanding graduate students who chose to study folklore, a relatively small field of research and ethnography that grew in part from the early efforts of the Grimm Brothers. Folklorists attend to and value what ordinary people create and treasure. I would wish, for America, leaders who display that same respect for all people. I think these people can offer that.
My thoughts flicker back to the characters I had in my head when writing The Handel Letters. Every now and then they seem to want to speak up again. I expect I will be giving them that chance fairly soon. Meanwhile, here is one more video—this one about dreaming, or not dreaming.
A decade ago the Dream Act offered immigrants who came to the United States as minors the opportunity to enroll in classes and work toward permanent residency. While the Dream Act is an acronym (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act), the notion that these young people were inspired by a dream for the future—that they were dreamers, in the best sense—has come to be a part of their identity. Nighttime dreams, on the other hand, can often be troublesome, even frightening. Then there are the dreams we cast as fantasy, fiction, or heartfelt desires—the stuff of fairytales, novels, movies, and plays. I’ve indulged in some of this last sort of dreams as they serve to distract me from the months of isolation and inactivity associated with Covid-19. Some years ago I wrote a song that I include here as a backdrop for a little survey of some of the many such “dreams” that have helped me weather the pandemic.
