Lyrics by neil jones
Merlin's song - extract from musical Arthur and Merlin
Merlin
Many years have I been here
Trapped by my sin, King’s lust and yet
Now I set down my memoirs here
lest we forget, lest we forget.
How did I get here?
The story is long.
Full of dark acts,
some brave deeds
and sadly…
some wrong.
A wizard in Britain
an Isle under siege.
Just doing his best for
his Country and Liege.
Deception of one King
another betrayed.
The cards were dealt well
but the hand poorly played.
Half sisters, half brothers
the Crown in between.
With a scheming witch mother
a succubi e’en.
The tale began
one Christmas Night
when the cold moon arose
sending stars into flight.
The lust of one King
for another’s wife was strong.
To preserve a great bloodline
I committed great wrong.
Many years have I been
In this cave where I grieve
Tricked and betrayed
By the sorceress Naivh.
But that is my history
Much time has gone
Now hear the full tale
Of Arthur in song.
A great but tragic King!
Many years have I been here
Trapped by my sin, King’s lust and yet
Now I set down my memoirs here
lest we forget, lest we forget.
How did I get here?
The story is long.
Full of dark acts,
some brave deeds
and sadly…
some wrong.
A wizard in Britain
an Isle under siege.
Just doing his best for
his Country and Liege.
Deception of one King
another betrayed.
The cards were dealt well
but the hand poorly played.
Half sisters, half brothers
the Crown in between.
With a scheming witch mother
a succubi e’en.
The tale began
one Christmas Night
when the cold moon arose
sending stars into flight.
The lust of one King
for another’s wife was strong.
To preserve a great bloodline
I committed great wrong.
Many years have I been
In this cave where I grieve
Tricked and betrayed
By the sorceress Naivh.
But that is my history
Much time has gone
Now hear the full tale
Of Arthur in song.
A great but tragic King!
born here today - christmas carol
Born here today
These are the words - I have also written the chords to accompany it
Hush can you hear that brand new sound, Swelling and rising around and around?
Here is a baby that’s born to the world.
Born here today!
What will he do and how will he grow? Will he see things that you’ll never know?
Will he grow up to change the world?
Born here to-day!
Chorus
Hush! can you see how his mother is holding him!
There can you see her strong arms enfolding him!
Hugging him close from the world outside,
Where he’s been born to-day!
Angels are singing and church bells are ringing,
Shepherds are praying and kings are displaying,
Gold, Myrrh and Frankincense; now all the world makes sense,
Born here today!
Moonlight is falling and everyone’s calling,
Candles are lighting and songs they are writing,
Stars twinkle in the sky; baby begins to cry;
Born here today!
Chorus
Hush! can you see how his mother is holding him!
There can you see her strong arms enfolding him!
Hugging him close from the world outside,
Where he’s been born today!
Hush can you hear that brand new sound,
Swelling and rising around and around?
Here is a baby that’s born to the world
Born here today!
What will he do and how will he grow?
Will he see things that you’ll never know?
Will he grow up to change the world?
Born here today!
These are the words - I have also written the chords to accompany it
Hush can you hear that brand new sound, Swelling and rising around and around?
Here is a baby that’s born to the world.
Born here today!
What will he do and how will he grow? Will he see things that you’ll never know?
Will he grow up to change the world?
Born here to-day!
Chorus
Hush! can you see how his mother is holding him!
There can you see her strong arms enfolding him!
Hugging him close from the world outside,
Where he’s been born to-day!
Angels are singing and church bells are ringing,
Shepherds are praying and kings are displaying,
Gold, Myrrh and Frankincense; now all the world makes sense,
Born here today!
Moonlight is falling and everyone’s calling,
Candles are lighting and songs they are writing,
Stars twinkle in the sky; baby begins to cry;
Born here today!
Chorus
Hush! can you see how his mother is holding him!
There can you see her strong arms enfolding him!
Hugging him close from the world outside,
Where he’s been born today!
Hush can you hear that brand new sound,
Swelling and rising around and around?
Here is a baby that’s born to the world
Born here today!
What will he do and how will he grow?
Will he see things that you’ll never know?
Will he grow up to change the world?
Born here today!
Troy - extract
Pre-prologue
The fleeing Trojans have landed in Italy, led by Aeneas, his father and his family, and founded a new dwelling on the banks of the river Tiber.
Each year on the anniversary of the sacking of Troy
They hold a feast and remember it.
Anchisus
Light the fires
Come light the fires – it is the day,
When we recall our flight away,
From our dear home on Ilion’s shore,
And fled across the sea’s wild roar.
So roast the meat and gut the fish,
We’ll feast and always eat a dish,
Of bitter herbs with blood red wine,
And hope the Gods are more benign,
Than those cold days when we saw death.
The North wind blew with bitter breath,
It froze the marrow in our teeth,
Within Troy’s walls and underneath.
Aeneas
Pass the bitter herbs
Let us eat these bitter herbs,
don’t grimace and don’t make a face,
We eat them to remind us,
Why we are here in this place.
So pass the bitter herbs around,
As we sit here on this warm ground,
This place, the Gods have helped us found,
Here by this stream, upon this mound.
We sit here in the summer’s rays,
Remembering in misty haze.
The terror and the blood red days,
Of murdering Greeks with hideous gaze.
Now let us to the Gods give praise,
That we survived, this town to raise.
The warm wind blows the full crop sways,
And we can now enjoy our days.
So pass the bitter herbs around,
As we sit here on this warm ground,
This place, the gods have helped us found,
Here by this stream, upon this mound.
Chew them well and swallow down,
and think of Troy, belovéd town,
Destroyed by Greeks – by tricky ruse,
Once they were in: they couldn’t lose.
They made that curséd wooden horse,
And history then changed its course.
For Troy it could not have been worse,
Turned by Greeks to heroic verse.
So pass the bitter herbs around,
As we sit here on this warm ground,
This place, the Gods have helped us found,
Here by this stream, upon this mound.
Screen/curtain drops down – picture of Troy on it
Enter Homer (blind)
Homer
So I will now the story share,
Of Troy’s destruction – be aware,
Of tragedy and Gods’ ill chance,
That led men in a deadly dance.
The fleeing Trojans have landed in Italy, led by Aeneas, his father and his family, and founded a new dwelling on the banks of the river Tiber.
Each year on the anniversary of the sacking of Troy
They hold a feast and remember it.
Anchisus
Light the fires
Come light the fires – it is the day,
When we recall our flight away,
From our dear home on Ilion’s shore,
And fled across the sea’s wild roar.
So roast the meat and gut the fish,
We’ll feast and always eat a dish,
Of bitter herbs with blood red wine,
And hope the Gods are more benign,
Than those cold days when we saw death.
The North wind blew with bitter breath,
It froze the marrow in our teeth,
Within Troy’s walls and underneath.
Aeneas
Pass the bitter herbs
Let us eat these bitter herbs,
don’t grimace and don’t make a face,
We eat them to remind us,
Why we are here in this place.
So pass the bitter herbs around,
As we sit here on this warm ground,
This place, the Gods have helped us found,
Here by this stream, upon this mound.
We sit here in the summer’s rays,
Remembering in misty haze.
The terror and the blood red days,
Of murdering Greeks with hideous gaze.
Now let us to the Gods give praise,
That we survived, this town to raise.
The warm wind blows the full crop sways,
And we can now enjoy our days.
So pass the bitter herbs around,
As we sit here on this warm ground,
This place, the gods have helped us found,
Here by this stream, upon this mound.
Chew them well and swallow down,
and think of Troy, belovéd town,
Destroyed by Greeks – by tricky ruse,
Once they were in: they couldn’t lose.
They made that curséd wooden horse,
And history then changed its course.
For Troy it could not have been worse,
Turned by Greeks to heroic verse.
So pass the bitter herbs around,
As we sit here on this warm ground,
This place, the Gods have helped us found,
Here by this stream, upon this mound.
Screen/curtain drops down – picture of Troy on it
Enter Homer (blind)
Homer
So I will now the story share,
Of Troy’s destruction – be aware,
Of tragedy and Gods’ ill chance,
That led men in a deadly dance.
Buddica - musical - extract
Eagles, blackbirds, ravens and crows
Arch druid
The sky is blue, the golden corn
Sways gently, here and there.
The blackbird sits on oaken bough
and trills its happy air.
Chorus
The eagles fly: the ravens and the crow
Are close behind, and it was always so
They see the blood, they sense the fear
The stench of death when Caesar's near
Arch druid
The sky above is turning dark
as crow-black birds block out the light;
I see our land descending
to... the deep abyss of night.
Chorus
The eagles fly, the ravens and the crow
Are close behind, and it was always so
They see the blood, they sense the fear
The stench of death when Caesar's near
middle 8
Across the sky two shapes flit by:
the silver and the black.
The joyful blackbird's trilling cry:
the eagle caws attack.
The silver swoops, the black goes high:
Now diving down, now breaking back
They fly around, now here, now there
With beating wing they cut the air.
The silver stops, the black takes pause
Then silver drops with raking claws.
Chorus
The eagles fly, the ravens and the crow
Are close behind, and it was always so
They see the blood, they sense the fear
The stench of death when Caesar's near
In Gaul the oaks no longer stand
few blackbirds sing across the land;
The Romans came with fire and axe
to kill, to burn, to steal, to tax.
Chorus
The eagles fly, the ravens and the crow
Are close behind, and it was always so
They see the blood, they sense the fear
The stench of death when Caesar's near
Arch druid throws powder into a brazier, inhales the smoke and then chants
I see a red tide - bringing red death and black times
across the sea from Gaul.
Julius Caesar looks northwards –
he hears Britannia's siren call.
His troops are massed, they sit and wait
for just one word, there's no debate.
He craves our end, we have his hate
we'll be his victim - 'tis our fate.
Arch druid
The sky is blue, the golden corn
Sways gently, here and there.
The blackbird sits on oaken bough
and trills its happy air.
Chorus
The eagles fly: the ravens and the crow
Are close behind, and it was always so
They see the blood, they sense the fear
The stench of death when Caesar's near
Arch druid
The sky above is turning dark
as crow-black birds block out the light;
I see our land descending
to... the deep abyss of night.
Chorus
The eagles fly, the ravens and the crow
Are close behind, and it was always so
They see the blood, they sense the fear
The stench of death when Caesar's near
middle 8
Across the sky two shapes flit by:
the silver and the black.
The joyful blackbird's trilling cry:
the eagle caws attack.
The silver swoops, the black goes high:
Now diving down, now breaking back
They fly around, now here, now there
With beating wing they cut the air.
The silver stops, the black takes pause
Then silver drops with raking claws.
Chorus
The eagles fly, the ravens and the crow
Are close behind, and it was always so
They see the blood, they sense the fear
The stench of death when Caesar's near
In Gaul the oaks no longer stand
few blackbirds sing across the land;
The Romans came with fire and axe
to kill, to burn, to steal, to tax.
Chorus
The eagles fly, the ravens and the crow
Are close behind, and it was always so
They see the blood, they sense the fear
The stench of death when Caesar's near
Arch druid throws powder into a brazier, inhales the smoke and then chants
I see a red tide - bringing red death and black times
across the sea from Gaul.
Julius Caesar looks northwards –
he hears Britannia's siren call.
His troops are massed, they sit and wait
for just one word, there's no debate.
He craves our end, we have his hate
we'll be his victim - 'tis our fate.