I’m currently studying for a masters degree in Sustainability and Behaviour Change. On the most recent residential week, looking at Communication, we were challenged to keep a creative diary over the week.

Earlier in the session I’d been talking about how positive I find it to use hymns to explore climate and wider environmental messages with church groups, and how I miss this when sharing with non-church groups. I’ve thus decided to have a go at writing some songs that could be used in secular setting that mirror (in some ways) the way that hymns are used in worship.

This first song was inspired by jogging around the “Quarry Trail” which runs aroung the Centre for Alternative Technology site clost to Machynlleth in North Wales (where I’m currently studying). It also follows from my New Year resolution this year to learn to recognise more birds by their song.

To the tune of Morning has broken.

Morning is breaking out of the quarry,
Songbirds are singing, perched in the trees,
Robin and blackbird,
Chiff-chaff and chaffinch,
Chorus of difference, blessed by the breeze.

Where are the thrushes that sang in my garden?
Where are the starlings that chirped through my youth?
Habitats ravaged,
Pesticides lavished,
Nature has vanished,
This is the truth.

What is our purpose, we who have knowledge?
Singing our vision or calling out wrong?
How can our voices
change people’s behaviour?
What is my story?
What is my song?

We sang this together at the end of the module. The recording below doesn’t quite get the first couple of lines but you’ll get the gist:

Finally here’s a little singalong video I’ve knocked up.