The In-between Time

I wrote this song in response to an increasing feeling of sadness or loss which arose in me when communicating with others over video-calling during the pandemic, for this reason the song became a lament. The sadness I felt seemed to be more than ‘Zoom fatigue’ and I felt that is was about the incremental loss of connection, and something of our humanity, which is taking place through losing opportunities to meet in person. The loss not only of the presence of the other but of the process of going on a journey to meet another, the small daily rituals such as making tea for someone or the shared experience of a place or space. It concerns me that we are gradually learning to override what our bodies tell us about the need to be in each other’s presence. I put the song to a video which hardly changes to try in some way to communicate the feeling of disconnect. The video is in Dwell Time Magazine

https://dwelltimepress.wordpress.com/

Being Human Festival

An extract from the song will be displayed on a magnet in the ‘Being Human’ Festival 2020′ . An exhibition of magnets displaying art relating to Covid 19 which will be placed outside the Queen Mary University of London Mile End Campus from Nov 14th. www.beinghumanfestival.org

The song was also played on Derby Sound Community Radio.

Perpetual Choir for the Ash Tree

On Feb 2nd I invited a group of people to gather in Derbyshire to sing to the Ash trees as part of the International 24hr Perpetual Choir for the Ash tree. I sang a new song written for the occasion ‘Fraxinus Excelsior’

24-hours-singing-for-the-ash-tree-around-the-earth

This event was organised by the Earth Wisdom Tenders

 

 

Music Declares Emergency

Music Declares Emergency is a group of artists, music industry professionals and organisations that stand together to declare a climate and ecological emergency and call for an immediate governmental response to protect all life on Earth. We believe in the power of music to promote the cultural change needed to create a better future.

MUSIC DECLARES EMERGENCY

The Declaration.
We call on governments and media institutions to tell the truth about the climate and ecological emergency.
We call on governments to act now to reverse biodiversity loss and reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by no later than 2030.
We recognise that the emergency has arisen from global injustices and will work towards systemic change to protect life on Earth.
We acknowledge the environmental impact of music industry practices and commit to taking urgent action.

We Will
Jointly support one another, sharing expertise as a collective industry and community.
Speak up and out about the climate and ecological emergency.
Work towards making our businesses ecologically sustainable and regenerative.

 

An Afternoon at Strutt House

An Afternoon at Strutt House
19th May 2019

As part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site Great Places Scheme I wrote three new songs in response to the Strutt’s North Mill Museum for the Belper Arts Festival afternoon showcase at Strutt House.

1873

The song ‘1873’ is about the decline of the nail industry in Belper and how the Nailers were affected by the Industrial revolution. I wrote this after looking at the  ‘Laws and Regulations passed at a general meeting of the Horse Nail Makers, held at Belper, May 17th 1873’

A Bold Young Nailer

‘A Bold Young Nailer’ is an unaccompanied folk song based on the traditional song ‘Died for Love’. I wrote this in response to seeing few stories about women’s experiences and I wanted a woman’s voice in my set. The lyrics are a story based on how I imagined a woman may have been impacted by the decline of the home-based ‘nailing trade. Some of the ideas were based on newspaper stories found in the North Mill Museum.

Jedediah Strutt

‘Jedediah Strutt’ is a song about Jedediah Strutt. He has a reputation locally of being a kind a philanthropic man who contributed to many of the local public buildings. I went to see his portrait, by Arkwright, in the Derby museum and he looked much more troubled and thoughtful than the other wealthy men of the time. I wanted to write a song which looked at both his kindness and the darker side of making money out of child labour. My original inspiration for the song was a list of ‘forfeits’ given to workers at Strutt’s Mill Belper between 1805 and 1813. The ‘bad behaviour’ struck me as things which children would do who were being asked to undertake monotonous jobs for long hours. I wrote the second half of the song based on skipping songs. The first half of the song is more solemn and formal and based on music by Matteo Carcassi, and contrasts with the street tune of the skipping song. I also added a spoken part in the middle which is part of the speech which Jedediah Strutt wrote for his own funeral. I used the repetition of ‘Jedediah Strutt’ at the start of the song to relate to the repetition of the mill machinery and also to sound slightly sinister.

Other artists who performed on the day were Umbilica and Grawl!x, Seiko Kinoshita, Toni Buckby, Spindrift, Debjani Chatterjee and Charu Asthana.

This event was funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund & Arts Council England.

An article about the event can be found here: https://nailed.community/2019/05/20/review-afternoon-delight-at-strutt-house/

 

Milford Monthly Music

‘Milford Monthly Music‘ had it’s final session on Dec 20th 2019. It was an evening of unplugged folk, acoustic or classical music in the lovely acoustics of Holy Trinity Church in Milford. Thanks to all the musicians who donated their time for free and all the people who came along to support them, made donations and brought along songs and poetry.

Performers in 2019 were:

March-Sarah Hinds   April-Sue MacFarlane   May-Kevin Hewick                                          June-Space McQuirk   September-SHEARglass   October-Classical Jazz                               November-Leo Swarvett and Maggie Braley   December- Grawl!x!

 

Photos

No28 Street Cafe Aug 2020

Arkwrights  Sept 2019

Northern Green Gathering Main Stage 2019

Masterclass with Paul Sartin at Cleckheaton Folk Festival 2019

 

Accessible Belper event in Belper Co-op 2019

The Bullsmoor Song Project

In Nov 2017 I wrote a folk song called ‘Bullmoor Lament’ to the tune of Bonny Portmore. It was written in response to planning applications to build housing and a factory extension on land in Belper called Bullsmoor.

I was persuaded to sing it into a megaphone at Belper market square during the Protect Belper march against developments threatening local and world heritage on Dec 2nd 2017. https://nailed.community/2017/12/02/protestors-belper-march-save-world-heritage-status/

I’ve now sung the Bullsmoor Lament at the Queen’s Head open mic in Belper, the Middleton by Wirksworth folk jam, The Northern Green Gathering, Derby Folk Festival fringe, Milford Monthly Music and Belper Goes Green.

Bullsmoor Lament – sung on Bullsmoor.

(Not great sound due to the wind, but you do get to hear the birds.)

I walk on Bullsmoor almost every day with my dog Charlie and have written the Bullsmoor Blog in an attempt to collect information, stories, memories, pictures and poems about the land. As I collect more stories for the Bullsmoor Song Project I’ll put them on there.

https://bullsmoorblog.wordpress.com/

In October 2018 I found out that the planning application for Bullsmoor had been declined so the Bullsmoor song project became a celebration of the land. Unfortunately Gladman are putting in another planning application, so this story has not ended yet.

Collecting stories on Bullsmoor

On May 11th,12th and 13th I sat in the sunshine at the top of Bullsmoor (near the park in the little fenced off field that used to be owned by Severn Trent) collecting stories about Bullsmoor. Go over to the Bullsmoor blog to see what I collected.

I’m still collecting stories, photos, maps, newspaper articles etc so if you have anything to share please get in touch.

sarah.hinds@hotmail.com

To help fund this project Ruth Gray has kindly donated an original painting of Bullsmoor. If you are interested in viewing this to buy please let me know. https://www.ruthgrayimages.net/

Thanks to the owners of Bullsmoor Farmhouse for letting me use the land.

https://bullsmoorblog.wordpress.com

 

About Sarah

British Folk singer and songwriter Sarah Hinds currently lives in Belper, Derbyshire. Born in Derbyshire, Sarah is developing a reputation for her songs about Belper and the surrounding area. She was previously known for playing bass guitar in ‘The Mothers’ an all mum punk band.

Using classical and flamenco guitar she sings songs of love and loss. Making observations about life she explores the impact of the modern world and loss of the natural environment on people’s lives. Described as “beautiful” by Dean Jackson BBC Introducing. 

Comments and reviews

‘Sarah’s voice can hover over a single nylon string, she evokes a really deep, primal feeling in me, she is a very uncontrived artist, very ‘real’ Kevin Hewick – Melton Folk Trail 2018.

‘..your voice is magical…I found it so moving…I thought it was hauntingly beautiful‘ Ronnie Thomas – Wales Sept 2018 talking about ‘Long Time Love’

‘Thankyou for uploading your tracks, they are beautiful…I’m so keen to broadcast some of your material.‘ Dean Jackson BBC Introducing Nov 2018

‘Great music on Soundcloud-you have a very special style and I love your lyrics.’ Adrian Kerr – Melton Folk Club Nov 2018

‘The world is a better place for more of your beautiful music being out there in it’ Hilary Prentice – Totnes 2018

‘Hi Sarah thank you for this beautiful song which will be on the playlist for the Peace Week special tonight 8pm-10pm – hope you enjoy the show!‘ Vanessa Boon – Derby Sound Sept 2020 (You May be Small)

Upcoming Performances

Northern Green Gathering Campaigns Stage – August 13th 2020 – CANCELLED

Goddess Festival – July 31st-Aug 2nd 2020 – CANCELLED

Whistlewood Common Wellbeing Gathering – Derbyshire June 27th 2020 – CANCELLED

Support for Keith Christmas tour – The Musician Leicester May 31st 2020 – CANCELLED https://www.becn.co.uk/

Belper Climate Day – Memorial Gardens Belper – April 18th 2020- CANCELLED

Wildside Festival – Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s Woodside Farm, Shipley ‘The Holt’ stage Saturday15th June 2019 – POSTPONED TO A LATER DATE TBC

https://wildsidefest.com/

Previous performances

2018

Belper Goes Green June 3rd

The Land – Grand Opening June 17th

Whistlewood Common Music Festival June 30th

Northern Green Gathering August 16-19

Sheffield Live radio interview September 18th

Derby Folk Festival Fringe October 6th 2018

Pulse Café 5th Anniversary party New Mills, High Peak November 9th

Arkwright’s Belper – Sunday Session Nov 18th

Holy Trinity Church Milford, CD launch – Nov 23rd

Melton Christmas Folk Trail –  Nigel’s Coffee Shop and The Gas Tap Dec 15th

2019 

Inkwell Arts Leeds – ‘Instrumental’- Jan 4th 2019

Holy Trinity Church Milford – Community Open Day  Jan 19th

Milford Monthly Music – Holy Trinity Milford –  March 15th 2019

Derby Sound Radio – April 13th on ‘The V Show’

She Speaks – Derby Sunday April 28th

Belper Arts Festival – Milford Monthly music Arts Festival Session. Holy Trinity Milford – May 17th with Kevin Hewick

An Afternoon At Strutt House – Performing songs based on North Mill Museum May 19th

Belper Goes Green – Earth stage – songs about the environment, also singing with Maggie Braley ‘It Can still be turned around’ – June 1st

Wirksworth Transition Group gathering – Wirksworth Community Garden- June 14th

Paul Sartin Masterclass performance – Cleckheaton Folk Festival- July 5th

Cleckheaton Folk Festival hiring Fair – Cleckheaton- July 6th

Seed Festival – Hawkwood College Stroud – Sunday July 21st

Derby Sound – The V Show – August 12th

Northern Green Gathering – Main Stage Thursday 15th August

Accessible Belper awareness raising event – Belper Co-op August 24th

Derby XR event – with Maggie Braley and the XR singing group – Sept 7th

Wirksworth Festival Peak XR event – the market place and the Red Lion Hotel Wirksworth with Maggie Braley and the XR singing group – Sept 8th

Rebel Rising Festival – Borth Wales – Sept 14th

Arkwrights Real Ale Bar – Belper – with Kevin Hewick- Sept 22nd

Andrew Wilbury Radio Show – Sept 22nd

Vegan Revelation Music Night – Supporting Intarsia – No 28 Belper – Sept 28th

Derby Folk Festival Fringe Stage – Derby Market Place – October 6th

Wirksworth Market – Nov 2nd

Melton Mowbray Christmas Folk Trail– Melton Mowbray 15th Dec

2020

Belper Music Festival – July 18th 2020 – Facebook Live Nailed It BMF

No28 Street Cafe – Aug 9th 2020

Derby Sound Radio – Peace Week – Sept 2020

Derby Sound Radio – Showcase of new song ‘The In-between Times’ – Oct 2020

‘A Place We Both Know’ CD

A Place We Both Know – Recorded and produced at 74 Sound Derby

Available as a CD. To order one email Sarah sarah.hinds@hotmail.com

Available as a digital download on CD Baby

https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/sarahhinds

Thanks to everyone who came along to the CD launch concert and who took part in the open mic session afterwards. It was a lovely atmosphere and you raised £100 towards Supporting Holy Trinity Church Milford to stay open and become a community facility.

People begin to arrive at Holy Trinity ready for the music. It was a cold night but it was a lovely relaxed atmosphere helped by the warm acoustics of the church.

Soundcloud