Deep and far away* in my music collection are a couple of Natalie Merchant albums. These are in deep storage, I don’t know why, I guess I’m fickle. Or maybe it’s just time passing.
Even though I don’t listen to these albums any more, I have to say, I still love the warm, throaty feeling of Natalie’s voice, which is why I was delighted to come across her settings of children’s poems.
I think I’ve directed people to this before, but I still very much enjoy them.
Just felt kind of beautiful and obscure and lovely; I love the idea of spending six years to adapt spooky children’s poems. Almost as much fun as being a spooky child, I imagine.
And well worth getting to the 15 minute mark for:
If no one ever marries me,-
And I don’t see why they should,
For nurse says I’m not pretty,
And I’m seldom very good-
If no one ever marries me
I shan’t mind very much;
I shall buy a squirrel in a cage,
And a little rabbit-hutch:
I shall have a cottage near a wood,
And a pony all my own,
And a little lamb quite clean and tame,
That I can take to town:
And when I’m getting really old,-
At twenty-eight or nine-
I shall buy a little orphan-girl
And bring her up as mine.
*okay, I just mean in Epping.
eleanor j jackson 