Our good friend Dave Ford put up a poster about a folk night in a nearby village. In aid of a young chap doing good stuff in Malawi, he said. Same crowd who do the music for Africa Aid, he said. So we went.
He was right – the usual suspects [Dangerous Dogs, In Any Order, the Bohos, and Sam the Teenage Guitarist] raising money for Ian Thomson, who runs Mtengo Guitars in Malawi. This is a project to train local people to use the beautiful African woods to build guitars. You can read more here and here
What we didn’t realise until we got there, is that Ian’s father Andy is the local Baptist minister [Bob had met him before] and I had met his mother, Rose, at a Connexion meeting. Tonight we met his brother Craig – and he used to be a pupil at Hebron School in Ooty, India –where my friend Elizabeth was his computer science teacher. The connections are endless!
The music was great - I particularly enjoyed ‘In Any Order’ singing “Some Glad Morning [I’ll Fly Away]”. This is a really old song, but Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch sing it in the film “O Brother Where Art Thou?”
OBWAT is a fabulous film to watch if you need cheering up. [The fact that George Clooney stars in the film is an added bonus!]
Some glad morning when this life is o'er,
I'll fly away;
To a home on God's celestial shore,
I'll fly awayI'll fly away, Oh Glory
I'll fly away; (in the morning)
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by,
I'll fly awayWhen the shadows of this life have gone,
I'll fly away;
Like a bird from prison bars has flown,
I'll fly awayJust a few more weary days and then,
I'll fly away;
To a land where joy shall never end,
I'll fly awayI'll fly away, Oh Glory
I'll fly away; (in the morning)
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by,
I'll fly away
[written by Albert Brumley of Missouri in 1929, when he was only 24 years old! He is the same chap who wrote “Turn Your Radio On”]
I hadnt heard of the film, but loved the music.
ReplyDeleteWas there a 'happy ending'?
It's a small world! I read the name and thought 'I wonder if that is the same Thomson family'. I met Mr. and Mrs. Thomson again at Keswick convention last July and knew they were living in Leicestershire. Craig was in my first ever GCSE class when I came to Hebron and his sister Fiona was a prefect for my dorm girls.
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a good evening and for a good cause.
Yes!!
ReplyDeleteThe plot is loosely based on Homer's Odyssey, and the singing is all wonderful bluegrass/Gospel stuff.
My favourite line - which always reduces me to hysterical giggles is - "We thought you was a toad!" - when you get to see the film, you'll understand why.
The guitar in the photo posted looks amazing! I love the African tree decorating it. Slightly more superior model to those made in Zambia out of weathered old apple boxes a few years ago, but I'm sure the owner no less proud. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteI love both the film "O Brother" and the soundtrack. Gillian Welch has a real old timey gospel flavor on her first two albums as well. She's one of my favorite singers.
ReplyDeletexofrances
Another good reason for having another go at persuading PC to let me join Lovefilm. I think he fears for the state of the house as much as for the state of his wallet!
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