‘Your Stories In Song’ is a year long lottery funded project run by Summer Trifle and delivered by Milton Hide. Summer Trifle is a not for profit organisation set up with the original aim to run accessible arts events at and around Pickhams in Wilmington / Arlington. Hence this particular performance in the ‘Your Stories In Song’ project was held at Pickhams.
We had intended this to be an outdoor event in the gardens on the new decking stage by the ponds. It’s a lovely performance space and we had a gazebo lined up for rain/sun cover. The forecast rain held off but the wind wasn’t going to let us stay outside. Even if the gazebo had been strong enough to not crumple like a paper bag, our music, amplified or not, would have been whisked away before it got anywhere near the ears of the audience. So we set up inside in the large living room and gathered together a variety of chairs.
It was a lovely house concert – people arriving and chatting as they found a seat, bringing their own drinks and nibbles. We had an almost full house of 30 plus one baby and a dog. The audience were keen to participate and we had 3 written suggestions for the group song. We decided on a story from Terry the tree surgeon who wrote about his experience of the day of the storm of 1987. This sparked a lot of discussion about memories and events of that day as everybody has a shared experience of it, a bit like lockdown, so it was a really good conversation starter. Jim went for a reggae beat and we soon had a few lines written on the board and everyone joined in with singing. You can read Terry’s story here: https://www.yourstoriesinsong.co.uk/the-great-storm-of-87/
This was a lottery funded event so was free for everyone to attend and we got paid a set fee from the project budget. We went on a little longer than anticipated but people seemed to be enjoying themselves so we didn’t want to stop. We performed for the first time our new song, Molly Mothballs, written for the project and it was filmed by Wendy Holmes, the granddaughter of the late Amy Wooller on whose writing we based the lyrics. You can read Amy’s story here: https://www.yourstoriesinsong.co.uk/molly-mothballs/
Lyrics for Molly Mothballs by Milton Hide (James Tipler and Jo Church)
Have you heard of Molly mothballs
On the road to Wilmington
Have you heard of Molly mothballs
Selling ribbons and cotton
Have you heard of Molly mothballs
Once a lady now a witch
Rode in father’s carriage
Now she’s lying in a ditch
–
They call me Molly mothballs
Though nobody knows
I really am a lady
And this life I chose
My father had a carriage
With horses so fair
And I would dress in finery
Ribbons in my hair
I looked down from above
At those down in the ditch
But now I have joined them
You call me a a witch
They call me Molly mothballs …
I’ve ribbons and bobbins
And cottons and tape
For sale in my basket
And handouts I’ll take
Fill my black kettle
I’ll give you a smile
Those that refuse me
Will regret in a while
They call me Molly mothballs …
From workhouse to workhouse
I trudge through the snow
Then sleep in the haystacks
When the cowparsleys grow
I’ve houses in London
And income to save
Why I renounced them
I’ll take to my grave
They call me Molly mothballs …./ Have you heard of Molly mothballs..