Occom's Carol (and wild cranberries)

http://timeriksenmusic.com/

In anticipation of Christmas, here's a new version of Samson Occom's great carol The Infant Saviour. Occom was a Presbyterian minister of Native American and Scottish descent who raised much of the money to start Dartmouth College ca. 1760. For more history see the liner notes to my CD "Every Sound Below."

Look at these cranberries! Every walk along the power line corridor between Pelham and Cushman reveals something amazing- plants, animals and sounds I don't hear much elsewhere- this week it's an abundant crop of wild cranberries.

I've always loved places like this- sort of hybrid nature/culture places- abandoned barns, sewer tunnels, drainage ditches, reservoirs...

I did a little research on the internet tonight and found an amazing recent Boston Globe article on how transmission corridors may be helping to save big cats, rare bees and all manner of other things. I'm not at all surprised, but it was nice to read in depth about a suspicion I've always had. Check it out:

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2009/11/22/what_does_it_take...


Merry Christmas in advance....

Category:

Music

Tags:

• eriksen
• christmas
• carol
• dartmouth
• college
• mohegan
• bajo
• sexto
• alternative
• folk
• americana
• traditional
• music

[JesusVillaChuy]

you play good.. is that a 12 string guitar or a mexican bajosexto?

[batfancy]

@JesusVillaChuy Thanks! It's a bajo sexto. Nothing fancy- a Lonestar Victoria, but I really like the way it plays.

[TallFeathers]

Thanks for posting. How did Samson Occom help Rev. Wheelock start Dartmouth. This is of interest, as I am related to Rev. Wheelock, and would love to learn more. Blessings this holiday.

[batfancy]

@TallFeathers He made a tour of England, meeting famous theologians and others and somehow got Lord Dartmouth to give a lot of money to the school (when it was still in CT I think). My memory is a little hazy on the details, but there's a lot about it in Occom's biography (only one as far as I know)...

[inatangle]

I **love** this song. It's because of you singing this that I first went to shape-note singing! Glad to see you "reissue" it, so to speak.

Where can we find wild cranberries? (or is it secret?)

[batfancy]

Cool! See the comment above for the cranberries- I think they'll be good for another couple weeks unless we get a super hard frost- singing tomorrow in Amherst!

[grupodesesperado1]

cool!! brother keep 'it up..



[JesusVillaChuy]

@batfancy

yea it sounds good man...specially since your outdoors

[blueridger28]

I never stop listining to this.

[blueridger28]

I can never get this song outa my head. Drinkin moonshine with my neighbor Eddy he maked a mean mash. Thnax Tim

[blueridger28]

A most buetiful song Tim. Im so drunk on Moonshine its nearly 4am. Thank you.

[BardofCornwall]

Another excellent video. I love the visual of the cranberry jar at the end.