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 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.
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
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‘ 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!
‘She Speaks’ Derby 2019
Northern Green Gathering Main Stage 2019
Masterclass with Paul Sartin at Cleckheaton Folk Festival 2019
Accessible Belper event in Belper Co-op 2019
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
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
Northern Green Gathering Campaigns Stage – August 13th 2020
Goddess Festival – July 31st-Aug 2nd 2020
Belper Music Festival – July 18th 2020
Whistlewood Common Wellbeing Gathering – Derbyshire June 27th 2020
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 – POSTPONED TO A LATER DATE TBC
Past events
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
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
