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Songs & Books

SCORES AVAILABLE FOR ALL THESE VIDEO SONGS

Rise Up – Written in 2019 in response to the many environmental crises we face, but rhythmically uplifting rather than depressing. Environmental/Rhythmic

Holding Hands – Originally written in 2008 I have now added to it in 2021 – especially the second half. Heartful/Earthy

Make Me Whole – A slightly gospel approach to personal growth, created in 2019 and 2021. Heartful/Uplifting

Slow Down – I wrote this back in 2008 but in 2021 I made a couple of small changes to stretch the ‘slow down’ concept. Earthing/Heartful

Steal The Common – A traditional poem anonymously written, still so true today. I made it into a song in 2020. Historical/Folk/Protest

You Are Not Alone – the words in this song are from a poem by my friend and published poet Sue Lochead-Lane. I created the music in 2020 as one of many projects worked on during lockdown. Spiritual/Uplifting

Linaea – Playing with rhythm – such good fun, but quite complex hence me reading the music on this one. I wrote this in 2015 and have adjusted it now in 2021. Rhythm/Heartful/Uplifting

Thy Light – Using a phrase from the Sufi tradition, I created this in 2018. Spiritual/Uplifting

Lay Your Burden Down – A song I wrote back in 2014 that was really popular at the time, has a nice funky middle bit and spiritual slow section. Uplifting/Heart Opening

Heartbeat – A fun song for the Earth with a good mix of rhythms that I wrote a few years ago. Heartful/Uplifting

In The Marble – 4-part harmony with Teg the tiny cat in the background. Apparently Michelangelo once said: “I saw the angel in the marble and I carved until I set him free’, and I have set this phrase to music. Historical/Creative

Orpheus – In 3-part harmony, an original song of the story from Ancient Greek tragedy. Historical/Moving

‘Ukuthula’ – a beautiful song for peace from South Africa

‘Tree of Life’ by Bee

‘Vigil’ by Bob Minney, a beautiful song for midwinter


Bee has been writing songs for several years and enjoys teaching them to large and small groups. She has a passion for harmonies and also a deep love for the natural world and a growing connection with history and all this is reflected in the songs. She says of history: ‘For me it used to be a dull thing taught badly at school, but now it feels living and dynamic, vibrant and ever present.’ This could have something to do with living on Dartmoor where thousands of years of history are embedded within the landscape. This has undoubtedly inspired her compositions.

There are songs in these books which are complex and others that are more simple, songs which are dramatic and powerful and songs for fun. They are for Singing Groups and Community Choirs in three, four and five part harmony all clearly notated with singing/teaching notes included. If you have any questions about the songs or the books then contact Bee. There is another book in the making, there always is!

Lay Your Burden Down

July 2015. £14 inc p&p.

July 2015. A collection of songs, some brought into being by the beautiful Dartmoor. For example ‘Her Story’  is inspired by the discovery of Bronze Age human remains in a cist at White Horse Hill. That is four thousand years ago! This may have been a young woman, obviously much respected as her remains were wrapped in a bear skin and she had been left with among other things, some beads including one of tin which was very precious at that time. Other songs are inspired by sacred phrases, a desire to create a more choral piece (‘Dona Pacem’), and others the joy of life itself. There is a song for departed friends and a Sacred Song section.

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  • Conversation with the Earth
  • Dona Pacem
  • Funky Moon
  • Go Placidly
  • Her Story
  • Lay Your Burden Down
  • Let It Be
  • May You Fly
  • Mina
  • Namo Amida
  • Oculette
  • One Tree
  • Prayer for Peace
  • River of Light
  • Sacred Earth
  • Sail of Silver
  • Shalom
  • Walk in the Light

Samples recorded at community choir events around the UK:

Shalom (Derwenlas)

Dona Pacem (Moreton Music Day)

Freedom of the Heart

March 2014. £14 inc p&p.

A collection of songs for the world we live in. There is the expanse of an ‘Anthem to the Air’, ‘The Hanging’ is a short ballad or folk song with a beautiful melody full of harmonies and heartache. ‘Fire and Brimstone’ is dramatic, needs a good strong bass line and is about how religion has been used to control us, particularly between the 15th and 17th Centuries when royalty lurched between Catholicism and Protestantism and their subjects had to keep up or were in danger of losing their lives. And then there are songs that nourish the heart.

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  • Anthem to the Air
  • Autumn
  • Be The Change
  • Breath Through Me
  • Elemental
  • Elements
  • Fire & Brimstone
  • Freedom of the Heart
  • Holding Hands
  • Intuition
  • Let the Beauty
  • L’Ocean
  • Nada
  • Slow Down
  • The Hanging
  • The Land
  • Waiting

Samples recorded at community choir events around the UK:

Slow Down (Dance Camp Wales)

Fire & Brimstone (Glastonbury Festival)

 

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