R's rue

"Ribbledin" is the name that Ebenezer Elliott invented for a stream that is in reality called Black Brook. It descends from Lodge Moor to the west of Sheffield, plunging to The River Rivelin below.  It was here, in the 1830's,  that he would sit to cogitate and absorb Nature's beauty. The Scottish poet, Robbie Burns (1759-1796) is referenced in the poem. He was one of Elliott's literary heroes - another "man of the people". Ebenezer Elliott RIBBLEDIN; OR THE CHRISTENING   No name hast thou! lone streamlet That lovest Rivilin.  Here, if a bard may christen thee,  I’ll call thee “Ribbledin;”  Here, where first murmuring from thine urn,  Thy voice deep joy expresses;  And down the rock, like music, flows  The wildness of thy tresses.  Here, while beneath the umbrage  Of Nature’s forest bower,  Bridged o’er by many a fallen birch,  And watch’d by many a flower,  To meet thy cloud-descended love, All t...

Post Covid choir lockdown has seen a sudden burst in new male choristers . One younger man with a higher range has been nabbed by the female tenors, all of whom looked suitably chuffed. The other guy sat next to me . Jamie , still bursting from his yearly obsession with Eurovision , announced loudly that we were going to learn this year’s  Icelandic entry IN  Icelandic and I heard the new man mutter “ oh bollocks “ under his breath. It was a euphemism for what have I got myself into ? I think he enjoyed the session. Anyhow I think we sounded better than the original to be fair .  I’ve talked before about the power of singing in a choir and  tonight I was reminded of the special camaraderie shared voices generate .  The good humour and the kindness especially . The younger man sang rather well, and it was lovely to see many of the choristers going up to him at the end of the class to tell him so. The face to face kindness and good humour I mentio...

  I’ve spent most of the day cleaning away the dust and mess from ten days of workman.  Four loads of washing hang drying on the garden walls, my gates and the field gate and the carpets have been shampooed with hot water and hints of lemon juice. I had smoked salmon for lunch, eaten with long green beans cooked in garlic.  And had a break in the Churchyard where the blue Alkanet frames the yellow Welsh poppies in an Ukrainian flag display . Exactly a year yesterday I planted the baby laburnum and when  I visited it today I was happy to see it had flowered well and looked straight and tall and healthy. Choir Later from Going Gently https://ift.tt/XTMh9B5