Hazel Leach : Composer

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Bigband/vocal

A Sting in the Tale

This was one of the first pieces I ever wrote for The United Women's Orchestra, way back in 1992 (the copyright date is a few years later.) It was recorded on the first CD in 1996, and has had a long and interesting life since then. There are now also smaller (and shorter) vocal arrangements available- one with piano and tenorsax, another with piano and concertina. I'm including the complete piano/vocal leadsheet- feel free to make your own arrangement!
The soundclip includes the second verse of the song, taken from the UWO recording with Francine Didderiens (now Veraa) on vocals.

Original line-up: vc, as/cl, as/fl, ts/cl, ts/bcl, bs/fl, bcl. 4 tp(flg), 3 tb, tba, pn, bs, dm.
Length: 14'30"

I wrote the lyrics after a trip home to Newcastle, in the north of England. I -and many other ex-Geordies- have a peculiar love-hate relationship with the city. Homesickness is cumulative- it builds up gradually over a period of years, but is based on an imaginary version of the place: three days after returning the hard reality kicks in and the reasons for leaving in the first place come flooding back. The pun in the title refers to Sting (another ex-geordie) who had just been home in the same period. The town was still buzzing, and his "Soul Cages" CD was out, echoing many similar sentiments about local roots.
The music tells my musical story, in a way: Part 1 is essentially a long instrumental introduction full of harmonic circles.
Part 2 is the song: it starts with folk and classical harmony (on flute, as I did) and develops into a jazz sound and feel for tenor sax.
The lyrics contain several references to folk music (Scarborough Fair, The Lykewake Dirge) and the River Tyne, with it's many bridges and coal-mining heritage.

Information about ordering the music can be found on the "contact" page- see link above.

**Links**
United Women's Orchestra: about the band	United Women's Orchestra: CD

**mp3/pdf files**
Leadsheet: complete	Trio piano/voc/concertina
StingVerse2.mp3 1,2 MB

A Sting in the Tale

Thereís a sting in the tale of the storyteller
Which pricks me to the bare bone,
and it comes from the roots of a place long deserted
and it comes from the roots of a place I call home.

Itís calling me back to the city of bridges
Caught on the border ëtwixt land and the sea,
Seeking a way to return to the earth,
To the black lands, to the the birthplace
Where once stood the tree.

There are roots which were wrenched from the coal-black soil
Pull ever so gently, but still the more,
Like the weight of an anchor which seeks the sea-bottom
To rest and to settle in sight of the shore.

I thought I was ever a child of the universe
Flying and wheeling as free as my dreams,
But the soul draws the line and the boundary sign-
(No higher, no further - go back to the source-)
It is wed to its roots evermore, for better or worse.

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