I started writing songs in 2012 inspired by a poetry writing workshop I went to in Bangor, and by a singing class I started attending in 2010. At first I tried to write poems and then realised that they worked better as songs.
I've written a number of silly, nonsense songs, as well as some more serious ones. The nonsense ones usually start from playing with the words, phrases and ideas. The more serious ones were inspired by seasons, nature and various other things.
The words usually come to me first, then I make up a tune that fits them. I compose most of the words and tunes in my head before writing them down, and then work out accompaniment on the ukulele, piano, guitar, harp or other instruments.
In January 2019 a few friends and I started to get together once a month to discuss and share songs we're working on. We also play recorders together and generally have a good laugh. Since then I've written a new song every month. We used to sing in an improvisation group we called the Crazy Choir / Silly Singing, and now call ourselves The Kaliphones / Y Califfôns. In September 2019 we recorded our first album.
Here are some of the songs I've written, arranged more or less in order of when they were written:
The Elephant Song | When you get to jiggit | Chaos | Winter | Everyday adventures | Hints of Blossom | A Panda in a Poncho | Plinkin Plookplooks | Spollagyn son tey | How Many Roads? | A Gnu in My Shoe | A Hen in My Hat | The Ballad of the Wug and the Cra | La Plume de ma Tante | Ukuleles On The Shore | Echoes on the Tongue | Dardledumdue | It's Okay To Be Odd | Monday Morning | Tall Tales | Sail Across The Sky | Two Left Feet | Thunder River | Ning | Lazybones | Goats | The Toaster Song | Hello Hi Hey | Thingamajig | Jolly Yuletide | The Pliffploff | Bubbles | Distraction | Little Lions | The Little Green Owl | Pannas Owen | Seize The Day | Music in the Air | Pocket Hedgehogs | Dust | Lillilu | Lost in a Good Book | Quiet Please | Ffaldiral | Melting 😅 | That's When We'll Do That Thing | As Easy As | What Did I Come In Here For? | Upside Down | Thoir An Aire! | Ho Ha Hey | Patience | Time | Farewell | Stuff and Nonsense | Ruith Air Falbh / Run Away! | The Other Side | Colourless Green Ideas | Noodling | Off To Sea | Cats & Dogs | Terms & Conditions
I've sung most of these songs in public in various places and they go down well. I've also taught some of them to other members of the improvision group I sing in, and they've come up with harmonies for them.
You can hear my songs and tunes on SoundCloud:
You can see the scores for some of my songs and tunes on Musescore
Most of my songs (and tunes and podcasts), can be heard on SoundCloud. I also post videos of some of them on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Here are a couple of examples:
Here's a video of me performing some of my songs at the Mash Up in the Greenhouse, a community centre in Bangor, on 2nd May 2014.
[ Contents ]
My musical adventures | My singing adventures | My Songs | My Tunes
English | French | Georgian | Icelandic | Irish | Manx | Māori | Ndebele | Scottish Gaelic | Welsh | Zulu | Songs in multiple languages
Songs from: Bangor Community Choir | Bangor Welsh Learners' Choir | The Crazy Choir | Simon Ager
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