MUSIC
These songs were written, produced and performed by Ribbon Road, musicians from the North East. They are part of the project ‘Song Lines to Impact and Legacy’ and come from Brenda and Geoff’s experiences in 6 Ghost Labs, to which the songs correspond.
Ribbon Road are influenced by a long tradition of folk music and dissenting ballads and sing beautifully crafted songs that draw on these, whilst remaining relevant to our ever-changing times.
“In this and our previous work we have been impressed by the results of academics working with creative people. Songs have often been described as the thin end of the wedge – they can look and sound like one thing while touching deeper places. They can communicate many things on many levels at any one time and, together with the academic and the films, they can raise awareness and paint the picture in a more accessible way.”
The songs were subsequently put together with the work of photographer Carl Joyce in a video ballad ‘Giving up the Ghosts’ which you can watch here
RIBBON ROAD SONG BOOKLET
DOWNLOAD THE RIBBON ROAD SONGBOOK HERE
SONG LINES ACROSS BORDERS
As part of the ‘Song Lines’ project, Ribbon Road have performed at the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-Under-Lyme. The video ballad has been seen by several hundred people and promoted by participants from the Ghost Labs, whilst the songs have featured on Steve Pool’s films and the radio documentary ‘Songlines and Social Haunting’ that has reached international audiences of thousands through community radio.
For our ‘Song Lines’ to be formed, between and within our participants’ communities, the songs of Ribbon Road were translated in to different languages.
WAVING LIKE THE PALM TREES LYRICS
‘The Stars Look Down On Horden’ was written in response to the Ghost Lab in this ex-mining town in the Durham coalfields. For members of the Ghost Lab in another former mining area, this time in North Staffordshire, it was translated in to Arabic.
Banner Image: Ribbon Road: Brenda, Geoff and Jill Heslop (credit: Ribbon Road)