"Featuring some of the British folk scene’s young stars as well as more established acts...even the bees themselves are almost present, as their buzz is imitated by a shruti drone... The bees are a vehicle for optimistic action and a means for folk to be refocused to its political roots."
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SONGHIVE is a folksong project concerned with raising awareness of the current plight of our native bees. Bees are responsible for 80% of pollination in the UK, are essential to biodiversity, and ultimately the future of humanity. Despite all this, we continue to obliterate the pollen-rich plants they depend on, and our governments insist on legalising pesticides that do them harm.
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Folk music has long been fraught with political dissent and attended by social change; perhaps this collection will serve to highlight how the decline of bees has entered the public consciousness. Here isn’t the place to wax lyrical, but hopefully this small project can raise some money for our friends; “the little musicians of the world”...
(The King & The Hermit, 10th c. Irish Verse). |
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❖ To gather together all the songs, tunes & folk stories that have relevance to the bees and make them available in one place.
❖ To produce a compilation album to be sold in aid of The Bee Cause (Friends of the Earth) See the CD page for info... ❖ To raise awareness of & encourage engagement with the problems facing our native bees. |
The project began as I noticed more & more folk artists including songs and tunes in their sets which referenced the bees... it seemed to me that almost every album I bought in the last year has had some mention of them. Who's to say whether this was a result of the stories that reached mainstream media or the fact that folkies are generally more interested in conservation, but either way, a pattern emerged! For all the ages of man, bees have been revered & respected... why stop now?
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“A work of arte; and yet no arte of man,
Can worke, this worke, these little creatures can.”
– Geoffrey Whitney
Can worke, this worke, these little creatures can.”
– Geoffrey Whitney
LEARNLearn a song or tune! Sing or play it to your family/friends/local folk club & tell them about the project!
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SIGNSign one of the many ongoing petitions to #savethebees! Go social media crazy if that's your thing!
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BuyBuy our fantastic compilation album from the CDs page – all the money goes to help save the bees!
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Who's crazy idea IS this?!Rowan Piggott is a fiddle-singer, writer and tunesmith who plays with several touring folk acts, including Georgia Lewis & Friends, Rosie Hodgson, & The Causeway Céilí Band. The author of two successful tunebooks, he has also written articles for The Living Tradition magazine and led fiddle workshops at festivals all over the country. In 2016, he won the Future of Young Folk Award at Bromyard Folk Festival, encouraging him to release his debut album, Mountscribe, to critical acclaim the following year.
For more info, please visit: www.rowanpiggott.com |
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"A really important project... and a great, great album!"
– Doug Welch |
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This project is kindly sponsored by the English Folk Dance & Song Society (EFDSS) through their Creative Bursary Scheme, partnered with the PRS for Music Foundation.
To find out more, see: www.efdss.org |
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