John Griffiths

During the lockdown Dave and Mauveen Lee used to walk up to the tunnel which carries Spitalbrook underneath the A10 and sing songs they had learned from the church around the world. The tunnel is full of graffiti - the news was bad as the first wave of Covid raged. But the acoustics in the tunnel were amazing! A selection of the songs has been placed in a circuit in Barclay Park and up to the tunnel across the fields. If you want your own copy of the songs there are a whole CD of them which Dave and Mauveen are using as a fundraiser for the roof of St Cuthberts church in Rye Park. You can track them down on Facebook. Enjoy the tunnel songs of the lockdown. There is light at the end of the tunnel!

Siyahamba - a popular song from South Africa which means We are marching in the light of God

Halle Halle Hallelujah- a song from the Caribbean

Take O take me as I am - a song from the Iona Community in Scotland

Ashikhatali - it doesn't matter if you should jail us we are free and kept alive by hope - a song from South Africa strangely appropriate to the Covid lockdowns

Freedom is coming - a song from South Africa - for this song Dave and Mauve were joined in the tunnel by Ros Scarborough and John Griffiths for 4 part harmony (all socially distanced of course)

Over my head  - a song from the USA made popular by gospel singer Rosetta Tharpe - for this song Dave and Mauve were joined in the tunnel by Ros Scarborough and John Griffiths for 4 part harmony (all socially distanced of course)

From May in 2020 as the first Covid Lockdown continued Dave and Mauve Lee started to walk through Barclay park and up across the fields to the Spitalbrook Tunnel where a stream and a walkway stretch under the A10 dual carriageway. They had discovered its wonderful acoustic properties. So they went and sang songs of hope. Songs from the church around the world which they had been singing in harmony for years.  Each visit to the tunnel produced a song - now there are over 40 of the recordings. For at least one of the songs they were joined by their daughter Bethan recording from Chad. On one occasion they were joined by Ros Scarborough and John Griffiths so you can hear 4 part harmonies.  The songs are recorded on a mobile phone - there is no trickery or post production. What you are hearing along with the singing of the birds is exactly how the songs sounded in the tunnel. The songs are about struggle and waiting and hope and pick up how it felt during the uncertainties as Covid swept the country. If you want to hear more songs then track down Mauveen or Dave Lee on Facebook. They are doing a fund raiser for the repars of the roof at St Cuthberts church in Rye Park - they will provide you with a CD of the songs in return for a donation. So  why don’t you follow their route to listen to a selection of their songs around Barclay Park and walk up the fields to Spitalfield tunnel ? You might be inspired to sing something yourself and record it and share it.

Tunnel Songs - songs from the Spitalbrook tunnel sung during Covid lockdown summer 2020

Tunnel Songs - songs from the Spitalbrook tunnel sung during Covid lockdown summer 2020

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Tunnel Songs - songs from the Spitalbrook tunnel sung during Covid lockdown summer 2020

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