My paternal grandmother was born on February 13, 1879. I always remembered her birthday as the day between Lincoln’s birthday and Valentine’s Day. She shared many wonderful books with me as I was growing up. This song reflects some images from one of them.
I have always enjoyed songs that tell a story—ballads and folksongs, of course, but also operas, oratorios, ballets, and musicals. Child ballad #54 is the Cherry Tree Carol. It tells an unorthodox version of the Christmas story—from Joseph’s point of view. I sing it here by myself, without even my trusty guitar, but my favorite way of singing is with others, as a duo, or choir, or the Bloomington Chamber Singers. I share this old ballad and some photos as a tribute to some of the many people I have enjoyed singing with over the years. Thanks, everyone. Singing together is such a joy!
Books, articles, podcasts, and blogs offer an abundance of advice for coping with our COVID-related issues. The booming field of self-help writing is something I spent some time researching several years ago, reading more books on the topic than I ever want to again. Still, I remain intrigued by our tendency to seek out such advice over and over again, always hoping to lead a better life after learning what others advise. Folksongs often gave us the answer long ago. Here is one answer—aided a bit by William Butler Yeats: Take Life Easy (aka Down By the Salley Gardens).