Through times which continue to shift, there are songs and tunes which suggest connection, which remind of courage and of kindness and trust, even through dark times.

A hand reaching out, a touch on the shoulder, a reminder of connection: there are many ways music can bring these things.

By the Time It Gets Dark finds the singer reaching out to suggest a shift of perspective, a bit of patience, and the connection of friendship. I’ve never found comfort in the this too shall pass idea myself; among other reasons, there’s still the circumstance to get through.

This song, which was written by Sandy Denny, takes another approach: that of a friend walking with you, maybe cheering you up a bit as the day unfolds.
 
Mary Black’s take on the song includes a dash of laughter, a quiet respect, and that feeling of walking alongside a friend through a challenge.

Mary is one of Ireland’s best loved singers. She grew up in Dublin, with her father from Northern Ireland and her mother from Dublin, both loving music. Mary, her sister Frances, their three brothers, and a number of their children have made lives in music.

There’s caring, kindness, and respect in the song Travel These Ways from Karine Polwart and Dave Milligan. They come from Scotland.

Karine is known as one of Scotland’s most thoughtful songwriters, often having ideas of nature and ideas of social justice in her work. Dave is known for his piano work in both jazz and folk music, often in creative coloration with his wife, harpist Corrina Hewat.

In Travel These Ways, Karine and Dave consider that there might come a time when snow covers the path so the way isn't clear, or when waters rise requiring a search for safe harbor.

Wherever we go
Wherever we bide
Whatever the wind and weather
Wherever we go
Wherever we bide
We’ll travel these ways together

Those times still arise for all of us. That can be especially true when one is displaced from what had been home, when, for whatever reason one is a migrant, or immigrant.

Ewan Roberson and Michael Farrell had those things in mind as they were writing the song Birds of Passage. In poetic and musical ways, it is a story of journeys of courage and uncertainty, of choices.

Ewan sings lead on the song. He’s a member of the band Breabach.

Each on the members of this award-winning band from Scotland sings, composes, and plays one or more instruments. In this video, Calum MacCrimmon is on bouzouki, Conal McDonough plays whistle, James Lindsay is on bass, and Megan Henderson on fiddle.

Music without words can also remind of friendship and connection. That’s true of this set from fiddler Laura Risk, who is based in Montreal. Alongside Laura in this set are Nicholas Williams on flute, Rachel Aucoin on piano, and Nic Gareiss on percussive dance.

With his song Row On, Bruce Foley offers a reminder that it is possible and necessary to take action when in uncertain or challenging circumstance. The lyrics came from the log of a sailing ship...

Bruce is based in New York. His wife, Mary Coogan (she’s playing guitar on the song), is a guitarist and founding member of the top Irish American band Cherish the Ladies. You will often find Bruce joining in at their concerts. During lock down times, Bruce and Nary did a series of online concerts, with Mary playing just about anything with strings and Bruce on guitar, Uillean pipes, and low whistle, as well as song. Many of those concerts are still available online.

If you’ve a keen ear, you might recognize the voice of the woman adding backing vocals to Row On: that’s Cathie Ryan, whose music you’ve met before in this series.

Ryan is an excellent singer and songwriter herself, with albums and awards to her name. In addition to writing her own songs and choosing songs from Irish tradition in English and Irish, she also has a fine ear for song from contemporary folk musicians. That’s the case with the song Walk the Road, written by Kate Rusby (Kate joins in on backing vocals).

All the way
through wind and rain
we’ll walk the road together

Ryan sings. At times, she closes her concerts with Walk the Road.

It seems a good way to draw the ideas of courage and kindness that thread through these songs together. May the creativity of these artists help you to give and receive courage and kindness through these shifting times.

Thank you for staying with us through this journey. Below, you'll find a link that will take you to an article which has a bit more backstory on the series. It also has links to a number of the stories, including ones called Listening for Community, Music for Winter's Changes, and The Geography of Hope.

Music for Shifting Times

Kerry Dexter is Music Editor at snsvs. 

You may find more of Kerry's work in National Geographic Traveler, Strings, Perceptive Travel, Journey to Scotland, Irish Fireside, and other places, as well as at her own site, Music Road. You can also read her work at Along the Music Road on Substack.