The Back Of The Winter - folksong

The Heron - folksong by Karine Polwart

Angela Hicks - soprano
Tom Gamble - guitar
Filmed at Castle Howard

***

The back of the winter is broken
And light lingers long by the door
The seeds of the summer have spoken
In gowans that bloom on the shore

By night and day we’ll sport and we’ll play
And delight as the dawn dances over the bay
Sleep blows the breath of the morning away
And we follow the heron home

In darkness we cradled our sorrow
And stoked all our fires with fear
These bones that lie empty and hollow
Are ready for gladness to cheer

Long may you sing of the salmon
And the snow-scented sound of your home
While the north wind delivers its sermon
Of ice and salt water and stone

By night and day we’ll sport and we’ll play
And delight as the dawn dances over the bay
Sleep blows the breath of the morning away
And we follow