This is my view of a well-known event i.e. The chain saw felling of the Sycamore Gap Tree in Sept 2023, along Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland. A place I know well, having walked the wall.

As the most photographed tree in the UK, its solitary picturesque silhouette, had become a cultural symbol across the world, appearing in films like Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

It was also the last place I spent some time with a good friend from University, who sadly died soon after. The tree was a place of pilgrimage and natural wonder.

Daniel Graham and Adam Cruthers were each sentenced to 4 years in prison, for causing criminal damage.

The public reaction was one of profound shock and anger. It was an act of mindless vandalism, that made no sense to anyone.

Even now the world is still in mourning and I continue to mourn my friend

The story of the song starts with one of the defendants claim that ‘it was just another tree'. There was ‘no warning in the breeze’. It was a ‘moronic mission, a savage, senseless act’.

The ‘sense of loss’ from a tree ‘cut down in disbelief’, left ‘the world numbed by grief’’

A ‘gaping hole to the eye’ is a symbol to ‘the two traitors’ who felled the tree.The song demands ,’ Cross out the wrong words. Say sorry, say sorry’    and ‘shout it out from the roof tops’. It goes on to say ‘People like us, should make a stand’

I suppose in the end; we all lost a bit of faith in humanity. I know I did. The Sycamore tree was ,’A cherished part of history, Loved and so admired’

Simplicity, with clear lyrics to explain the emotions in the aftermath of the tree being felled.

No mention of who or why or how it was felled. I don’t care to know the reason why, or how the operation was carried out.

The song was composed in the Folk genre, as almost a lament to past times and the end of an era.

I used a lone female voice with a lone acoustic guitar, with a sad, almost haunting feel to it. I don’t think any song would be worthy of describing the shock that resonated around the world.

In the lyric video ,I used one image of a young girl leaning on a felled tree, almost talking her way through the song. Almost like a poem.

She sings ‘it breaks my heart’

A ‘wedge as a trophy’  I suppose is the last symbol I used to try and fail, to make sense of this event.

‘Left only with photos’ is also a nod to my much-loved friend

This is my view of a well-known event from a different angle. i.e. The sinking of the Titanic ship in 2 hours and 40 mins in 1912, 370 miles off Newfoundland in Cananda.

The main character in my song is a Mr J Bruce Ismay, who became known as the ‘Coward of the Titanic’. At the time, he was President of The White Star Line, the company that owned the Titanic, which sank on its maiden voyage 

Mr Ismay was also originally involved in the ships design, demanding a reduction in the number of lifeboats from 48 to 20, for so called aesthetic reasons.

Somehow, Mr Ismay and his wife, survived in Lifeboat C, whilst 1500 other unfortunate souls died in the ice-cold waters.

This led to public vilification, despite his claims that he tried to help others. The disaster destroyed his reputation,leaving him to spend the rest of his life in isolation in Ireland

The story of the song starts in his cabin on the boat, as the ship crashes into the iceberg.At this point Mr Ismay reportedly, ignored the traditional ships orders of ‘women and children first’

With the help of a £5 bribe, he and his wife and a member of the crew, launched their own lifeboat in order to survive amongst the chaos.

But significantly, the lifeboat was only half full and he could have gone back to save many others. Afterwards he claimed, ‘no children were begging for mercy’

However, this led to widespread public suspicion and ridicule.Mr Ismay spent the rest of his life alone, fishing on the river.Later in life as a stroke, left him unconscious and blinded

Simplicity, with clear lyrics to explain the events of that night, in some detail

A lone female voice with a lone acoustic guitar and a simple almost ‘funeral like’ beat.

Folk genre, to not lose the ‘messaging’ and to give it a historical feel. The song is all about the key questions on the night

Why did you pay the man in the lifeboat?

Why did you launch the lifeboat half empty? 

Could you have gone back and saved others?

Was the ship trying to beat the trans-Atlantic speed record?

Did you put pressure on the captain, and was this one of the reasons the ship hit the iceberg?

Melancholic , describing the disaster, full of regret and sadness.

But also, one of cruelty and public humiliation