An old song from a younger man

peter wyethLeave a comment

An old song from a younger man. I think this was the first thing I ever recorded and mixed myself, maybe? 2004, perhaps? An old Boss BR-864. Singing into the onboard mics. Still trying to rid myself of an American accent when I sang. Still dropping ‘g’s.

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Think too much, I act too slow
The moments pass and the syntax refuses to flow
Don’t think of it as sentiment
Or a nervousness as I have to catch my breath
In that pause (the heart beat)
I take in the room and the walls and the light
And I breath, I breath in that moment
And just for that moment, just in that moment is all
Baby Baby, come

Half-lit room with its breathless air
I can only just begin to forgive myself
For daring to dress you down
Are we open now?
When we talk, when we touch each to other’s mouths?
Confess to me all you dare and I swear we can be ourselves
In a breath, in a breath in a moment
And just for that moment, just in that moment is all
Baby Baby, come

Think too much, I act too slow
The moments pass and the syntax refuses to flow
Don’t think of it as sentiment
Or a nervousness as I have to catch my breath
Confess to me all you dare and I swear we can be ourselves
In a breath, in a breath in a moment
And just for that moment, that one tender moment is all
Baby Baby, come

Virginia Anderson

peter wyethLeave a comment

I was saddened to hear of the sudden and unexpected passing of Virginia Anderson this weekend. I met her through watching the South Leicestershire Improvisors Ensemble and then getting to play with them. I will miss her enthusiasm and encouragement and my thoughts go out to Chris and Virginia’s friends and family. Xx

undeniably alive

peter wyethLeave a comment 
Riding my bike home from work  
in the not quite nearly night of the early evening.
My twin silhouettes, cast on the hedgerow from the headlights of the car behind me,
slowly, confidently,
glide past my side as they overtake me
leaving me alone in the dark again. 
My front light glints speckles of light
as it catches beer cans, bottles, 
discarded items littering the grubby sullen roadside. 

I think this light play is the only positive to another dull day,
until I reach the top of the hill and peer over my shoulder. 
The waxing crescent of a silver new moon
hangs bright in the buff orangey pink light of dusk. 
I stop and pull over to stare at it, 
feeling undeniably alive.

The last band I saw before lockdown

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I decided on a whim, neither having heard of them or heard them, to see them live on the basis of this photo whilst scrolling around Folk Radio. “What is that dude doing with a Gretsch in a forest?!?”

I did my utmost, too, to not listen to them, to not search out what they might be like before the event. I conceded briefly, though, when trying to encourage some others to come along. 22 seconds in to the the video for ‘Charmer’ and I was on shaky ground – “That dude is bowing a mandola?!?” I had to turn it off as I thought my head might explode in expectation.

The gig itself was wonderful. Two Fridays before lockdown V.1, an uncertainty of what was to happen both then and afterwards, this beautiful undulating cloud of sound drifted around the Guildhall – voice, strings and harmonium floating around us. This melding of different organic elements creating one gentle incredible, shimmering whole. It was wonderful.

I got to speak a little to Ewan and Lauren afterwards, mainly about guitar things and it took all my strength not to buy a record – I didn’t want that to become my memory of the evening and how it made me feel. But isolating at home afterwards, the sounds still buzzing around in my thoughts, I had to. And it’s as close to perfect as you could get. A total joy.

I cannot wait to see them again.