Where Ravens Feed - concert

One of Graeme's best-loved songs, Where Ravens Feed, is to be sung as part of a concert programme in Holy Trinity Church, Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, next week.  The V and A Ensemble, which meets at the church, will perform its Christmas Concert starting at 12.30pm.  What a lovely place to sing such a wonderful song - the acoustics must be superb as in many churches.

Graeme said he wrote "Ravens" after walking near Seatoller in the Lake District, a place where he walked only twice.  In his notes on the song he says that on seeing a raven in the distance he was reminded of the writing of the prophet Jeremiah where he describes the life of Elijah in the wadi of Cherith.   The passage reads: "And the ravens themselves were bringing him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and from the torrent valley he kept drinking (1 Kings 17.6)."  Graeme continues: "After walking several hundred more miles back and forth across the North York Moors over a period of three or four years ... and reworking the piece countless times, with a variety of titles, I eventually, late in 1972, settled on this version (Songscapes)."  An earlier version (1966) is entitled "I Roam Wild Places".

The V and A Ensemble is run by co-founders Vicki Clemerson and Alan Barnard, with music director being Anne de Waal and members from Derbyshire and Staffordshire.  More information about the ensemble and the concert may be obtained from its website.

Ailsa MacKenzie

administrator www.graememiles.co.uk