Current page: Notice Board
Current page: Notice Board
Hi, Folks,
Sure enough the winter winds are biting across the landscape, and as darkness falls I actually love the roar of the wind in the beeches and elms around the churchyard near to here. There is something untamed and primeval about the black winter night. Not in any way do I find it spooky or unnerving.
In the old house on the hill, which gave me the very best childhood anyone could ask for, as there was no electricity, you had the warm glow of lamps and candles, and even though the elements howled around the house like banshees, the house took it all on the chin without moving.
Stories around the scrubbed pine table; then on Christmas Eve , the Yule log , a giant, hand cut by my Dad and I, would be eased onto the dog grate in the parlour. It had to last through until Christmas day.
Memories, ah, sweet memories. It is that time again and somehow it seems to heighten the paradoxes between joy and sadness; plenty and poverty; laughter and tears. Why, oh, why do things come to hit us so hard at this time, or is it just that the time is no different, just in concept ( when you get past the cash registers) the sad and the wonderful are thrown up into stark relief.
I look around and some friends have left this world for the next. Some are worryingly ill; some are fine and all across the world the story is the same. One of the joys and shocks of being a world-wide act is the sending of cards. We love it. So do the Post Office, and at the little Kirkheaton Post Office,you just leave your mail with them and they stamp and send it for you. Fine. I looked at the bill and instant palpitations! Well, when it comes to it Cathy and I had sent some 500+ Christmas cards. Nice to send them though and nice to get them back in love and friendship and news.
In retrospect the Dutch tour was lovely. So many fine people and nights when time seemed to stand still. So where to now? Cathy is wrapping presents- women are so much better at this than men- and I am figuring 'where to' after Christmas.
Hm, smells good. Dinner is roast pheasant. I -er-encountered it, and I can skin one in two minutes. Country boys never die. Anyway, after Christmas I will re-master 'No truth in the Rumour' with bonus tracks. Try and finalise getting 'Seasons' out of Universal ( that is the 1971 live in the Albert Hall recording) and start on the 'Fields of Eden ' album. Stand by for some surprises, not least 'The Children of the Sea.'
Be good to have multi-talented Laurens on board; Davey Johnstone from Fat Reg's (Elton John) band and - in comes beloved old friend and star producer of 'Lord of the Ages': Tony Cox. Lee of course on bass and ... Laurens keeps saying 'European Union Blues ' is a hit. Good on you Cameron. You're out there alone, but... so was a reviled Winston Churchill way back warning of the growing juggernaut of the Nazi wart machine.And nobody listened.
Anyway, enough pontificating, see you in some shape or form hopefully in 2012. I say, hopefully, for you should just check out the Maya. They were frighteningly accurate and...... Don't want to spoil your Christmas,
With love and music, Chris. Huddersfield 2011.
Chris Simpson's book 'Complete Works', which contains the story of Magna Carta and most of the songs written by Chris, is now online available at The Music Index.
LINKS You can find other websites on Magna Carta in the Links section.
ARTICLES You can read various articles on Magna Carta in the Articles section (updated).
You can read what Chris, Linda and Matt wrote about the farewell concert at the Carré in 2009
MAGNA CARTA'S Farewell Concert at the Carré, Amsterdam, May 11, 2009 You can see photographs of the Carré concert here [opens in a new window].
Notice Board for 2011
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