Singing to the River

(created by Nimue, written down by James)

At the weekend, my feral folk choir – Carnival of Cryptids – took part in a celebration of the River Severn. This meant that we got to stand near the river and sing across the river in the direction of Newnham. We sang Ivor Gurney’s Fisherman of Newnham as set by Johnny Coppin. There’s something really powerful about getting to sing a song in the landscape it relates to. For me, singing to the river, about the river was magical experience. There were also people who listened and enjoyed what we did.

Across the river, another group of people had assembled with drums. We could hear them, and they could hear us, although the river is too wide for other kinds of communication. Once upon a time, it was possible to ford the severn at this point, but not anymore. The river is changeable, and wild, and I feel very strongly about the importance of keeping that wildness alive.

I’ve come away from the event with ideas about how we might participate in future gatherings and what I might write or borrow to that end. Having my creative process so informed by the landscape and the community here is an exciting possibility. It feels resonant to me and gives me a sense of how I want to take my bardcraft forward.