To Drive the Cold Winter Away
Intro music: Accordion
You're listening to Earth Noise, the podcast that uses music as a vessel to travel through time and space, hosted by me, Kelsey Georgesen.
On this show, we will explore our collective experience by listening to a variety of music and finding a common thread.
This podcast is recorded on the traditional land of the Kiikpoi people. I also want to acknowledge that all American music has been influenced by the African diaspora. In this audio space, we aim to elevate the voices of Black and Indigenous people and their music.
In this episode of Earth Noise, we’re going to talk about winter songs. I chose this theme months ago, anticipating myself choosing these songs in the deep cold of winter. To my surprise, I’m recording these in the midwest on a 60 degree December day. Also to my surprise, many of the winter songs that I ended up selecting from these cold weather places in the world were really singing about summer, warmth, and light.
Take “Solhvervssang,” for example, the song you heard on the accordion in the introduction. This title translates to “Solstice Song,” and solstice can be one of two things: in the summer, a day of perpetual light and warmth, especially in northern regions of the world, and in the winter, a cold and darkness that permeates everything. Or that’s how it should be, even if that’s not the case this year.
The text in this song describes the rotations of the seasons, and consequently, cycles of life and death. I’ve named this episode, “Everything changes and time goes by” after the translation of one of the lyrics here. This song, and seemingly, the other songs to be featured in this episode, ends up being about the perpetual cycles inflicted upon us by the passage of time.
This music is from the Skåne region or Scania County of Sweden. This is the southernmost point of Sweden, adjacent to Denmark. The text I will read is a rough English translation of what appears to be Danish text by Misja Keiding, added or transcribed in 1982.
English Text:
When winter gray is the short day,
then the night is so great under the roof of the stars.
When winter pale is your cold cheek,
is in the living rooms the sun ball fire carried in.
And each time is the best in its own way,
Everything changes and time goes by: |
While the ground is now quite cold and hard,
Is the den for the seed that will germinate this year.
When the sprout grows and the flower dies,
Can it all begin where it left off before.
|: And each time is the best in its own way,
Everything changes and time goes by: |
As the sun rolls on the way of heaven,
Will it light a torch for you and for me.
And watch your fire so it burns beautifully.
You must know that it is NOW it is being used.
|: And each time is the best in its own way,
Everything changes and time goes by: |
Danish Text:
Når vintergrå er den korte dag,
da er natten så stor under stjernernes tag.
Når vinterbleg er din kolde kind,
er i stuerne solkuglens ild båret ind.
Og hver en tid er den bedste på sin egen måde,
Alting skifter, og tiden går i ring :|
Mens jorden nu er helt kold og hård,
Er den hi for det frø, der vil spire i år.
Når spiren vokser, og blomsten dør,
Kan det hele begynde, hvor det sluttede før.
|: Og hver en tid er den bedste på sin egen måde,
Alting skifter, og tiden går i ring :|
Mens solen ruller på himlens vej,
Vil den tænde en fakkel for dig og for mig.
Og pas din ild, så den brænder smukt.
Du skal vide, at det jo er NU den bliver brugt.
|: Og hver en tid er den bedste på sin egen måde,
Alting skifter, og tiden går i ring :|
The sheet music that I’m referencing is from Folkets Hus Spillefolk, a Danish archive of Scandinavian folk tunes. This music was released on this platform April 25th of 2005, and was last revised on November 30th, 2014. You’re listening to me play this piece on an old Hohner accordion.
I want to highlight perspectives on seasonal cycles from people who live with these cycles most intimately, and in my quest for winter songs, I actually found a song about summer by an Inuit metal band. This song, titled the Inukitut word for “Summer,” describes the beautiful, endless days of sunlight and the glory of traditional Inuit food practices. The singer describes traditional seal and narwhal meals as “wanting soul food.”
For more context about these food practices, I referenced a 2019 NPR report by ISABELLA GOMEZ SARMIENTO, where she describes the cost of shipping commercial food products near the arctic circle. In the farthest most north Canadian territory of Nunavut, essential groceries to feed a family can start at $500 a week. In 2019, a package of vanilla creme cookies: $18.29. A bunch of grapes: $28.58. A container of baby formula: $26.99. This report goes on to detail how traditional regional foods, including controversial seal, polar bear, and narwhal, are actually packed with essential fats and vitamins in the high quantities that are essential to people living in such a cold and dark climate. Because the far north is so food scarce, there is a history and lingering fear of starvation, and these hunted animals are so massive, there is also a tradition of community feasts and food sharing.
A few things that strike me about this song: despite being the height of summer, living in the far north is still so cold! You can see it in the clear sunlight, the grayish tint in the otherwise blues skies, in the long sleeves and heavy boots everyone is wearing. I also notice that the pace of summer is different- despite being this freeing time of year with long light, it is also full of work. I imagine when the days are so short in the winter, it feels especially important to make the most of days that are 24 hours full of sun. In this video, there are shots of fishing, meal preparation, moving fishing boats, and of course shredding on guitar. Content warning: there are clips of hunting and eating in here that contain images of blood.
One lyric that gave me pause in this song draws a parrallel between the way we notice reports of criminal activity increasing in the summer, and decreasing in the winter- due to ability to leave teh house, longer days, no school in session, etc. Imagine the stark difference in “misbehavior,” if you will, when the winter is eternally dark and the sun never sets in the summer. Just before a gutting guitar solo, they sing “We break a few laws in the summer night! Because there are few rules in the summer night!”
This is “Auyaq,” performed and uploaded to Youtube under a Creative Commons license by the Inuit band Slayvz on August 26th, 2019. Featuring “Kiniqtuks” Ruben Anton Komangapik, “Kiniqtuks” Jim Merkosak, and “Siqu” “Chaalix One’s” Charlie Quasa.
This video was directed and filmed by Yoanis Menge, and edited by Nicolas Longpré. Additional footage was provided by “Kiniqtuks” Ruben Anton Komangapik and Caleb Sanguya. This film is dedicated to the original singer of Slayvz , Roland Quasa.
The documentation and sharing of this video was provided by Mobilizing Inuit Cultural Heritage and York University and was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
English Text(translated from Inuktitut):
Slayvz Auyaq - Summer
The sun shines on you day and night!
People are outside walking around because the summer's about waking around!
Youngsters are enjoying the scenery!
Because summer's about enjoying the view! We break a few laws in the summer night!
Because there are few rules in the summer night! (Lead guitar)
I hop in the boat!
So we can go hunt some ringed seals!
Nunavut...! Is really beautiful...!!!
I'm starting to feel excited!! We see a seal right in front of us....
My buddy grabs the Rifle!
He shoots the seal! Just one shot!!!
Summer is very beautiful! The best scenery is in the summer!
The sun shining on you 24/7!
Everyone is outside! Walking around...
We go boating in the summer...
Hunting seals Narwhal hunting! Wanting soul food!
Really enjoying the scenery!
We go camping for awhile! Summer! (Lead guitar)
We really enjoy summer!
Everyone does!
Summer ! Summer ! Summer!!!!!!!
To close, I want to share reflections on winter songs as told through an English jig, “To Drive the Cold Winter Away.” This is in a minor key, while singing about the cheer and delight we create around the holiday time. As the lyrics aptly say, “Forgetting old wrongs, with carols and songs, to drive the cold winter away.” Enjoy this recording of me singing “To Drive the Cold Winter Away,” with Anthony Rideout accompanying me on guitar.
Musik und Text: England
Satz: Pascal Martiné
Interpret: Frauenchor Luna
All hail to the days that merit more praise
Than all the rest of the year,
And welcome the nights that double delights
As well for the poor as the peer!
Good fortune attend each merry man’s friend,
That doth but the best that he may;
Forgetting old wrongs, with carols and songs,
To drive the cold winter away.
This time of the year is spent in good cheer,
And neighbours together do meet
To sit by the fire, with friendly desire,
Each other in love to greet;
Old grudges forgot are put in the pot,
All sorrows aside they lay;
The old and the young doth carol this song
To drive the cold winter away.
Thank you so much to my guest musician, Anthony Rideout, for playing guitar on this recording, and thank YOU for listening to this episode of Earth Noise.
I hope episode brought you some new carols and stories, and helped to drive your cold winter away.
If you like this podcast, please support Earth Noise on patreon. The sheet music for both “Solhvervssang” and “To Drive the Cold Winter Away” are available there, and there are many more goodies to come.
All of the music used in this podcast is either public domain, available under a Creative Commons license, or has been licensed and approved for use by BMI.
Thank you for listening.
