I never had the chance to prove them wrong / my time was short the story long

[raven]

Winter in London is not always my favourite thing, except when it is: survivable through ritual. We've been having a run of bright, raw, cold days, that aren't crisp and frosty yet because the air is sodden bitter, but beautiful in their way. I walk to the Tube in the mornings and around Lincoln's Inn Fields in the afternoon, and the leaves are sludge and the trees are bare outlines and everyone's breath rises. I love this city very much.

As it gets colder: Diwali in late October. Thanksgiving last week hosted by American friends. (A lot of food and laughter. happydork made five pumpkin pies.) Last night soupytwist and I went to see Oysterband at Union Chapel, one of my favourite venues and perfect for them, with the candlelight and icy hymnal acoustics. And it's something about folk music, and the time of year - indigenous music, roots music; whatever you like to call it - the music of a place and time, anyway. A line from the little book, which I wrote earlier this week:

“Be warned,” she says softly. “Don’t ever get five folk musicians all together at once with booze.”
He looks up. “I’m not a folk musician,” he says, indignantly, and she rolls her eyes.
“I’ve heard it, honestly.”
“I’m a classically-trained musician who performs the music of my own place and people, which, by the way—“
“Like. For serious. I've heard it.”
“—is the oldest continuous artistic tradition in the Western world. By the way.”

I liked that Oysterband prefaced Here Comes The Flood with the note that "socialism" may have become a dirty word in some quarters but this is Union Chapel, this is Islington. (They got a cheer. I keep meaning to go back to Union Chapel's Daylight Music sessions. You pay £5 for the chapel's upkeep and community projects, and you get tea and acoustics.) I went with cosmic_llin to see Julie Fowlis play in early November - again, candlelit and quiet. Between two songs of her set, she said in Gaelic for those with Gaelic: tha mi 'n dochas gun chòrd e ruibh, I'm glad you're here and that you liked it. Just for a minute, music for a handful in a crowd. I was so touched by it.

Anyway, the point of it: live music, the change of season, and self-built ritual, and not so little self-awareness, to not know my reluctant theism is close to the surface. Brioche and ginger biscuits this morning, to celebrate Due South and Slings & Arrows being put on YouTube by the Canada Media Fund. It's still impossibly bright. Five of my friends piled onto my sofa to see Geoffrey Tennant shout, "I have fixed the toilet!"

Work is coming to an end, and a beginning. (I move post in January.) I have a story out at the end of this week, and another at New Year. Christmas in London; and then A. and I are in Jaipur in the first week of January, for a wedding. By then I hope to have a first draft of the little book, and the short story projects finished for the time being. This is the first winter of my adult life in which I have been adequately medicated. And it's as much an ongoing project as ever, and this week less good than most, but in comparison to the other thing, a blessed postdrome - a space where something used to be.

Comments

[flick]

I do miss Oysters at the Union Chapel since we moved out of London. It was always very much a Christmas ritual. Did they do The Holly And The Ivy? I love it when they do that!

[raven]

They didn't, no - it was a fortieth anniversary tour show, so the setlist was mostly Holy Bandits, with a few others in the second half. Excellent regardless, though.

[glinda]

*nods faux sombrely* It's not folk music its trad music. (If you've got a passion for semantics, I've got some Gaels with music geek tendencies.)

I'm rather jealous of your candlelit concert shenanigans, I've somehow never seen Julie Fowlis live - in person rather than on the tele - she's on the list. Otherwise, if you should happen to get a chance to see Rachel Sermanni live, I think she'd be rather your sort of thing.

[raven]

Julie Fowlis was lovely! She's playing in Glasgow in January on my birthday, and I have reluctantly decided that no, self, that would be a RIDICULOUS thing to do. Quasi-relatedly, you don't ever find yourself down here, do you? I never seem to be in your bit of Scotland despite my best efforts.

And seriously, friend, I do have a passion for semantics, I'd love to hear any musical geekery on the subject. Thank you for the rec, too - I will check Rachel Sermanni out.

[glinda]

At Celtic Connections? (Totally ridiculous. Though if you change your mind and want company in your being ridiculousness...) Though actually she's playing in Inverness the following week so I need to put a reminder in my phone to get tickets for that... I've not been to London in years, which probably means I'm due a visit doesn't it? February is always pretty grim, I'll probably need a break to cheer myself up then, might see if there's any good exhibitions on and find an excuse!

[raven]

Super-ridiculous. Incredibly ridiculous. I'd love to, though. If you do end up in this neck of the woods it would be great to hang out. :)

[macadamanaity]

I started watching some dS episodes at random also in honour of this occasion and to see if it was just as pure as I remember it being, and it is in fact even more so. I tried to explain the Rays to my sister who thought I had lost my mind.


also, hi friend, I am coming to (your) town the 2nd week in Jan, will you be around?

[raven]

We had to do a pre-episode explanation of the Rays to the late arrivals. V similar sort of reaction. And then you've got to explain how Paul Gross ALWAYS sees dead people.

[macadamanaity]

as my sister is canadian, she has an instinctive understanding of everything paul gross including his choice of creative endeavours. She has also run into him at airport customs on multiple occasions.

[catwalksalone]

It’s 6:21, cold and dark, and this post brought me light and warmth in all sorts of ways.

We’ve had frosts here, and between them and the low winter light it can make the driving I have to do difficult, particularly with being not quite right in the ears department. But it’s beautiful, so I don’t care.

[raven]

<3 <3 I hope you're feeling okay, friend.

[lamentables]

No matter how difficult things are, your descriptions make everything seem really beautiful and desirable. You speak: I yearn.

We've had bright, frosty days recently and I need them very badly at the moment.

[brainwane]

This is the first winter of my adult life in which I have been adequately medicated.

\o/ I am so glad you are experiencing adequate medication.

And if you have a story out at the end of this week then that means I can think to myself "I can reward myself at the end of this week with a new story I will enjoy!" so yay!

[raven]

Thank you, lovely! Alas, it has been slightly delayed - it will be out on 5 Dec with Anathema.

[soupytwist]

May your medication always be suitable and sufficient.

I love you honey and I am so glad we saw Oysterband! And Geoffrey fixing the toilet, and Ray K running to Canada. ♥

[raven]

ME TOO. The whole weekend was a balm, I'm so glad you came down. <33

[msilverstar]

I love your writing and would like to see a book with your folksong dialog!

[raven]

Thank you! Are you not on the filter where I post bits of the little book? (if not would you like to be?)

[msilverstar]

I am not on that filter, but would like to be, thank you!

Have you already published one? I would like to buy it.

[raven]

That is very good to hear, but sadly my book-adventures have stalled slightly (I no longer have an agent for various reasons, so while I think my first book may come out sometime, maybe not soon). I've added you to the filters, so here are the snippets from the little book, here are the snippets from the first book, and here is my pro writing generally.

[msilverstar]

gosh thanks! I am looking forward to reading more