Sunshine, light,
and colours
There may certainly be different manifestations of the
effect of music, but I am firmly convinced that for all those who listen to and
make music, the effect of brightening moods and feelings is connected. No
matter how dark the music may be, it always speaks to our soul and supports us
in our feelings. What could be more obvious than to choose a theme for the
Folk Club that strengthens our motivation and well-being in both dark and light
seasons: sunshine, light, and colours.
Well, even if not every song of the evening explicitly
represented this motto, it did so implicitly, due to the effect described
above. And so, as usual, our master of ceremonies John Harrison opened
the evening of the 158th Folk Club Bonn with both the wake-up call “Ladies and
gentlemen...” and the epitome of the musical emotional world – the Blues. John
was accompanied by Christoph Thiebes on his harmonicas, which, as we
have often had the pleasure of experiencing, he plays masterfully. “All by
Myself,” a blues song by Big Bill Broonzy, describes the seemingly hopeless
situation of someone who is all alone and has no one to talk to – in keeping
with the spirit of the music, he sings and his mood improves (after all, in
blues, the bad situation has to be sung out in order to cope with it in real
life). He continued with a song he wrote himself about the Yugoslavian war,
“Trouble and Strife.” Now, one might again ask what this has to do with
lightening the mood – and I would venture to answer that even in very dark
times, music, and even music that focuses on terrible events, helps to process
the overall situation and see individual rays of sunshine again. With the song
“Gypsum Sack,” John describes his experiences earning money during his studies
by filling sacks with gypsum bags. Whether he saw rays of sunshine during this
time, after he finally got to wash the dust off his skin in the evening, or
when he got paid his weekly wage, will
probably remain his secret. Quick quiz question – when does the sun shine most
often? In summer, exactly, so it makes sense to sing a song about summer – and,
as a blues song, of course, the well-known “Summertime.”
After John, Kai Hofstetter, now well known at the
Folk Club, took to the boards that mean the world (though at the Folk Club it's
still flat ground). Kai had brought something special with him, namely a
protest song from the 1960s which was allowed to convey something of a protest
fig leaf to the bourgeois social class. This song, “Welche Farbe hat die Welt” (What
Colour is the World), was on the B-side of the pop single “Marmor, Stein und
Eisen bricht” (Marble, Stone and Iron Breaks). But Kai wouldn't be Kai if he
didn't fall back into the Franconian dialect with his songs. And this time he
did so with a free translation of a poem by the Chinese poet Li Bai. “Der Mond,
mei Schatte un ich” (The Moon, My Shadow and Me) describes – not unlike the
blues – the solution to a hopeless situation. Who should I drink with when I'm
alone? Well, it's simple, I stand in the moonlight, toast the moon and watch my
shadow do the same – the party is saved.
Some time ago, Frauke Jessen mustered the courage to
present her skills on the ukulele at the Folk Club. The success (i.e., applause) convinced her to
do it again, and this time she came with
her musical impressions from a ukulele meeting held in beautiful Italy. With
German lyrics to well-known Italian “schnulzen” (sentimental songs), she not
only put the audience in a good mood, but also encouraged them to sing along.
“Manchmal, wenn ich im Traum zum Himmel aufschau” (Sometimes, when I look up at
the sky in my dreams) is a successful German interpretation of the song Volare,
and “Schon seit Jahren fahr' ich gerne nach Italien” (I've been fond of
travelling to Italy for years) is not only a declaration of love to this
country, but also an interpretation of L'Italiano.
After Frauke, your chronicler Mario Dompke had a go
at the theme. I had wanted to arrange Phil Ochs' song (When I'm Gone) with the
band Fomiander for a long time. But since I don't think pure cover versions
are that great, I translated the lyrics and wrote a German version, “Bin ich
erst weg” (Once I'm Gone), which I tried out at the Folk Club, and now I think
I'll suggest it to my band as a joint song. The Waldzither inspired me to
incorporate the Irish lifestyle more strongly into my music, and now I think I'll suggest it to my band as a song we can play
together. The Waldzither inspired me to incorporate the Irish lifestyle more
strongly into my music. I tried it with the song “Im Osten” (In the East) and,
coincidentally, it fit the theme of the evening quite well – after all, the
song says “In the east, I look towards the sun...”
Even though it has been played frequently at the Folk Club,
the song “Alt werden” (Growing Old) was a premiere, because until now, I had
always excused myself for using the guitar instead of the Waldzither by saying
that some band members were missing. This time, however, I tried to play the
melody from the chords, so that I could perform without a backing band. I always excused the use of the guitar
instead of the Waldzither due to the absence of band members. This time, however,
I tried to play the melody from the chords and thus manage without an accompanying band – there was applause, so it
seems to have worked.
Hofjebräu – loud, cheeky, and snotty, but always full
of atmosphere – ended the first half. But was it Hofjebräu at all? I think so,
albeit in a slimmed-down form (only Michael Pfeil), supported by John
Harrison and at the end, by Christoph Thiebes. The first song immediately
comforted the audience (it brought sunshine into the room, so to speak sunshine
into the room) with the statement “How good that we are here / Wie gut, dass wir hier sind.” I don't know if
there was a fear that not everyone would see this positively (I don't think so),
but musically, the statement “Better go / Besser mal geh'n” came right after that. The first half
of the Folk Club ended with the song “Dumpfbacke", / "Dull Cheeks" about which little needs to be said, (except that it leaves a little to be desired with the literal translation: Ed.) as many know it very well – why else would many have sung
along? Why am I not writing about the content of the songs? – Well, I am :
loud, cheeky, and snotty :-) And because it was so beautiful, Hofjebräu came
back in the featured version in the second half. With similar songs, after all Hofjebräu
remains true to itself (that rhymes). “Schwafel nicht rum / "Don't ramble," “Mit Pfefferminz
bin ich dein Prinz ( With peppermints I am your prince” and “Verliebt, verlobt, verheiratet, vertan / "In love, engaged, married, wasted.” are all songs
that say goodbye to the bourgeois world, hello to joie de vivre, and don't take
life too seriously.
But back to the beginning of the second half. There was a
(positive) feeling of a poetry slam, because first there was a little biology lesson in
poem form with the verses by John Harrison about the "Mauersegler" / swifts “Swift.” And immediately
afterwards, Wolfgang Schriefer, now known as the house poet, showed his
skills in the poem
*Poetry Corner
1) Wolfgang Schriefer's poem:
Oversunshining,
eine Jugendsünde 1,0 Min.
Es
scheint der Sonnenschein
mir heftig auf das Bein
es folgt ein Sonnenbrand
wär ich nur weggerannt
Der Kopf, der lag im Schatten
unterm Schirm auf den Matten
zum Glück ruhte er dort
und nicht an einem andren Ort
Nämlich in der prallen Sonne
das wäre wirklich keine Wonne
er wär jetzt puterrot
und ich vielleicht schon tot
Und die Moral von der Geschichte
lieg nie im hellen Sonnenlichte
sei einfach schlau
such den Schatten... ja genau
Du brauchst doch wirklich keine Bräune
das warn doch früher deine Träume
heute bist du nicht davon erbaut
vom weißen Krebs auf deiner Haut
und das war die Geschichte
vom Liegen im Sonnenlichte
Warum
dies Gedicht
Damit Euch aufgeht ein Licht
©Wolfgang
Schriefer, 06.25
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunshine for you and me 2,0 Min.
it´s the
Folkclubs charme, die Vielfalt der Sprachen, la vie pleine
All the leaves are green
and the sky is blue
Sunshine for me
Sunshine for you
Winters are less cold
Summers are to hot
I remember John me told
we will give you a floorspot
Step into the folkclub
'bit like an Irish Pub
sit down on my chair
drink one or to beer
Then John calls: "Wolfgang
du bist jetzt dran (oh
ich bin schon dran)
du hast doch ein Gedicht" (oh ja
hab ich)
hoff ich enttäusch euch nicht
Reiche werden immer reicher
die Knie der Armen immer weicher
ja und man spürt es schon
es bräucht 'ne Bürgerrevolution
We really need a common struggle
und weniger Gebabbel
We have to fight I guess
against over richness
Protesting peacefully together
through storm and rainy weather
to save our democracy
to keep being free
Only then the leaves keep green (for
us all)
and the sky keeps blue (jawolll)
Sunshine encore for me. (that's true)
Sunshine encore for you
To sing in the future too, with you
Singing in the future too
©Wolfgang Schriefer, 06.25
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Swift
Diving from your bell tower
On your maiden flight
Wings trembling with uncertainty
Tense with fright
Falling, falling, falling
Newton’s apple in your throat
You know your parents love you
But do they have to gloat?
The wind is rushing faster
The ground appearing near
Can this really be so normal?
My God, I’m feeling queer
Suddenly, your lungs are full and
The joy stick truly yanked
The curve is caught, new flight begins
We’re heading skywards, lessons banked
Fear vanquished, the ultimate flying
machine
Makes the first few beats upon the wing
Conquers the air and to the sky is born,
The gleeful wingèd, feathered king
Flying like you never mean to stop
Full pilot control
No winged insect ever safe
On the Norway to the Cape patrol
At first great fear, now a mere “stroll” on
the wing
Redefining “non-stop”
As your never-ending areal revere
Allows you perpetual “hip-hop”
What glee feel you now
Super, wingèd dove?
Flying for the United Nations
Master o’er all above
Screee, screeee, screeee,
Schreak, skrieck,
Skreigh skriegh
Scree skreigh
The will-o-the-wing
The screech-maker wiles and sings
Dicing, slicing through the rooftops
On vaulted wings
Some say a swift,
Urbane he be,
Can in the valleys
A mountain turn
To scree
I say a swift, rounding each and every
Roof top with such eternal glee.
“Welcome”
In my rafters be
To nest and seek sojourn
To breed and rest a while
To take breath and breed
And like a stile
Spring into the the air
and fly forever, not like the idle swallow
“I fly today, now I’m grounded ...
and maybe fly again tomorrow!”
You are a continuous cacophonous symphony
Of eternal wondrous, individual flight,
Ecstasy in motion,
Were I you, I might know fright.
Knowing you, I know none
You come as last, and leave us early,
Perpetual marker of the seasons
Antipodal friend in the hurly burly
Summer’s diplomat with summer’s
Whiles do dance
The mountain’s summits are such, yet much
lower
Than your daily death-defying night flying
trance
Fly forever celestial creature
With cries like none others heard
But ‘twixt Spring and Summer return in May
Enchanting word-defying, breath taking
bird.
John Harrison
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“Poem about lying in the sunshine,” in which he described
the dangers, but also the pleasures of being in the sunshine. With a Denglish text set
to the sounds of ‘California Dreaming,’ Wolfgang described his relationship
with the Folk Club. He then expressed his personal feelings about the political
situation in our country in his poem “Ich und Du, Friedrich” (You and Me,
Friedrich) – now I believe that Wolfgang would be the ideal candidate for
German chancellor, but has our country fared better now?
Now came, I'll just say it up front, the absolute highlight
of the evening. Rick Fines, a Canadian musician who currently lives in
Plittersdorf, transported us all to a magical world with his smoky voice and
delicate fingerpicking. Rick used to make a living from music, but today he
mainly takes care of his wife and daughter. As much as I would have liked to
sample his culinary skills, I was very happy that he didn't cook at the Folk
Club, but played music instead. With three pieces of his own composition, he
proved his versatility, and I admit that afterwards I listened to various pieces
on his website and realised that he is even more versatile overall. Pure jazz,
blues with soul, but also ballads – Rick has it all. I can only recommend that you listen to more
of his music, because the songs “In The Arms Of What Will Be,” “Just Got Back,”
and “Laundry On The Line” are really just a small sample of his talent – but
they are so well performed that it is a must for me to continue exploring his
music.
Miguel Garcia Gonzalez and Thomas were also not at the Folk
Club for the first time. Miguel remained true to his basic orientation of
mystical and esoteric music. With the piece “Alma” (soul in English), he
describes the different feelings that a soul experiences in humans. “Camino de
tierra” is also a song connected to Spanish and Mexican culture about simple life.
Miguel expresses in his music, his lyrics, but also in his special way of
musical interpretation that life in the little things shows itself to be worth
living. And what is it that makes life worth living? Love, dancing through life
together and, of course, embracing each other in all situations (joy and sorrow)
to experience feelings together. “Loving, Dancing, Hugging” expresses precisely
this feeling.
John Hay has often proven that he can make great music both
in a group and as a solo artist. Today he was back on stage alone, singing about various everyday situations – such as the story of “Stella,”
a waitress in a small café, which he heard from his brother. Often, we only realize how lucky we are in life when that luck is
threatened. In his composition “In der Zielgeraden” (In the Home
Stretch), John describes how he was fortunately able to pull the ripcord when he realised that his career
and other activities, he was neglecting himself and those close to
him. And in a similar vein, in his third piece, “A Tree That Is
Mine,” he described a virtual retreat. A place you can go to when the world seems to be falling apart emotionally, a place you can visit
in your mind without having to physically reach it. Finally, John treated
us to his German-language version of the beautiful song“Caledonia,” which he now calls “Unendlich viel” (Infinitely
Much).
The second part of Hofjebräu has already been written about
– all that remains to be said is that once again, FCB patron Jock Stewart was sung about by
everyone present and, as always, after the Folk Club is before the Folk Club.
So:
Out of the Bedroom and into the next Folk Club on July 4,
2025, when Australian instrumental guitarist Darren Cross will be our “Featured
Artist.”
Yours,
Mario
