A Song for November: She moved through the fair
Dear friends,
Our living room has been transformed: a tree with lights (ornaments forthcoming), stockings hung by the wood-burning stove, St. Francis of Assisi blessing us from the bookshelf, red curtains to accent our mid-century red-and-white wallpaper, and a mantel-full of Santas (I have a very festive, very fun house mate). And, as I write, a chicken is laying an egg on the picnic table just outside the window, on the porch. We finally gave her a box with hay when we realized how intent she was in laying her eggs there, particularly after an egg rolled off the table….
I hope this note finds you well, wherever you are! Gathering with family virtually to share Thanksgiving wasn’t the same, of course, but it has been a sweet time of resting, crafting, and singing by the fire. My very favorite gig of the year, Christmas caroling with Songful Artists, is largely off this year, though Luke and I are preparing a few virtual holiday sings, one of them on December 4 @ 3pm EST! We’d love for you to pop in; all donations will go to Dublin Inner City Helping Homeless (Ireland), to support hard-pressed folk this winter during this major housing crisis.
Today I’m sharing an Irish folk song that I recorded with my husband, Luke: “She moved through the fair,” which I fell in love with after singing Britten’s setting. I’m married to an Anglo-Irish folkie whose family parties are literally Irish trad sessions with live music and dancing, and so I’m slowly growing my ballad repertoire so that I have something to sing when they ask me to sing! We hope you enjoy this beauty.
I would be remiss if I did not mention something that’s been on my mind and heart — that, on this 400th anniversary of the Mayflower arriving on Wampanoag land, I’ve been thinking about the truth of what happened that year, the legacy of Thanksgiving, and the values that Black Friday has consequentially imbibed in this national holiday, nationwide and globally. What can be a holiday of gratitude for what we have, and celebration of abundance over scarcity, has been turned into a holiday of insatiable want, of taking more earthly resources than we need and than is sustainable. Perhaps you don’t want a sermon this weekend — but I’m sharing this because it’s my small act of resistance this weekend, as I begin to rethink how I want to celebrate Thanksgiving, and how I want to (not) participate in the Black Friday black hole. Don’t get me wrong — I’ve snagged two or three deals. But I’m not spending this day drowning in the internet. Yesterday as I cooked I listened to an amazing podcast by Native peoples about Thanksgiving and made a gift out of an old sweater that we got for Luke a few years ago from the amazing Goodwill in Jamaica Plain, MA; and today I’m going to hand-make Christmas cards and find a Native American organization to support financially as part of my monthly tithing. Small acts of resistance. Small steps for change.
Whatever you find yourself doing this holiday weekend, give a listen to Luke and I singing this amazing song, and go listen to the podcast episode linked above. Sending love and light to you all!
Be well, stay safe, as ever,
Stephanie