Introduction to the tunnel songs
1 sound
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.
