Magic Casements

I'd like to share something very special that's been happening to me recently.

My story revolves around a little volume of piano pieces called Magic Casements which I've had in my possession since I was 10 years old.  They were composed by Constance Harper (1903-77) and given to me by her sister Lilian (1901-83), who asked me to take good care of them.  The sisters were neighbours of ours in Southport when I was growing up.

The Harper family had occupied a large house at Plymouth Grove in Manchester which had previously been owned by the author Elizabeth Gaskell.  In the early seventies, Constance and Lilian sold the property to the University of Manchester so they could retire to Southport.  It is now owned by Manchester Historic Buildings Trust and has been restored and opened to the public in memory of Elizabeth Gaskell.

A few weeks ago I visited the house for the first time.  I received a very warm welcome from the volunteers there who were very interested in my connection to the Harpers and I promised to send them some of my recollections.  You can read the full story here -

http://elizabethgaskellhouse.co.uk/at-home-with-the-harpers/

I'm very happy to say that I will be visiting the house again on October 20th to perform Magic Casements by Constance Harper and a few songs of my own.  I'm excited and overwhelmed to have been given this opportunity to bring Constance's music back to life in the Harpers' family home.

Humans and Foxes

We get foxes round our neighbourhood. We had a skulk of youngsters visit our garden every evening this summer and we'd sit at the kitchen window in the twilight watching them dodge in and out of the hedges at the back and play their curious game with my son's football. A few times they stole shoes from outside the door and dropped them around the surrounding gardens until we learned to bring them in at the end of the day. As the cubs matured, they became less bold and by autumn they'd stopped coming round to play, preferring to roam the streets alone.

I started this piece by saying that we get foxes round our way, but the more I think about it, we don't get foxes at all.

Humans and Foxes

I was walking home midnight last
Thinking about the day
When a shape creeps along the path
And doesn’t know what to say
I see how he turns his head
And the way that he holds his tail
And I’m wondering how he’s feeling
Cos he doesn’t give much away.

I look into his curious face
I ask him to give me a clue
I don’t get what it means to be me
I say, what does it mean to be you?
He says he’s just looking for food
I say why don’t I bring you a feast
You can share with your vulpine kin,
Take my burdens and leave me some peace?

Well that’s what I thought we agreed
But when I go back he’s away
So I sit by the side of the road,
Finish the chocolate soufflé.
Well maybe he didn’t believe
When I said I’d bring something to eat
There are things that get lost in translation
When humans and foxes meet
Humans and foxes meet
Humans and foxes meet
Humans and foxes.

October 2016