Liz of Greenstrings Music entwined music and environmental themes together
in the 80's and 90's working with wildlife biologist Ian Redmond OBE to raise awareness to the plight of the African elephant and the mountain gorilla of Karisoke. Her songs were used in environmental concerts and within schools. Here is a small selection of those songs from the Greenstrings Music archives.
The Knight of the Forest Jumper...... Liz wrote "Knight of the Forest" in 1989 (see details below). At the time she was teaching in Hertfordshire, England, UK and a really wonderful family she worked with made her a jumper - interwoven throughout the jumper was depicted her song "Knight of the Forest." The jumper is an amazing creative piece of work with the tune of the song weaved very accurately in it along with guitars and trees symbolising music and the rainforests......... you can see this wonderful Gift of Art on other pages on this website as well. It has been a very treasured Gift ..........
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Knight, Knight of the Forest has gone
Guardian of Wild Birds of Song
Struck in the starlit filled night
When the Morning Sun rose o'er the leaftops at dawn
Forests of Rain sung their Song of Freedom lost.
Knight, Knight of the Forest was he
Guardian of vast forest trees
Giving sweet life to our world.
But the Soldiers' of Dark fired their shots in the night
Now acres of leafy green
Giants are swept to dust
Their Guardian has gone
(last time died):
Juliet & Bruce of "Spirit of Love" wrote a final verse to this Greenstrings Music song and they can be heard performing it on their latest album - see www.spiritoflove.biz for details)
"Spirit of Love" at www.spiritoflove.biz
Twinkle twinkle, little star, light my path to heaven's door
Up above the clouds so high, like a diamond in the sky
When your in the sky above, light my life with moonlight love.
Twinkle twinkle, little star, shine upon me from afar
Save me from that human eye, that shows no mercy when I die
When your in the sky above, light my life with moonlight love.
You alone know how I feel, you've recorded mans' great ills
46,000 of my friends did die, in one year only, why oh why?
Twinkle twinkle little star, help me now in my great hour.
Blue I'm called and I despair, to see my friends exploding there
Harpoon guns are mans' great ploy, they hide behind them, with great joy
What pray tell me will they kill, when I, the Blue, come to you?
Twinkle twinkle, little star, light my path to heaven's door,
The Humpback's Song of Love will stay,
Within my heart, while on my way, save me from the men of grief
Give me sanctuary that I may sleep.
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From 1986 there had been an international ban on commercial whaling. Yet despite this, there was an estimated 11,000 whales killed since that Ban at the time of writing the song in 1989. The harpoons which were used to kill whales were fired into the whale's body where it would explode. But the whale wouldn't die at once but instead even half an hour later could still be alive in great pain.
The Blue Whale (who is lamenting in the song) is the largest animal ever to have lived, and can grow up to 100 feet in length. Its voice under water can travel over 200 miles. Its diet is small, consisting of small krill and eating about a ton a mouthful.
The 2 Voyager Spacecraft bound for the Stars were complete with a phonograph record on which was recorded information about the inhabitants of Earth, together with the songs of the Humpback Whale.
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Mwelu's Song
How my heart sings to you, Mwelu I love you true
Bathed in the morning dew, Sweet Spirit of Brightness.
Playful and fancy-free, Child of my Mountain King
Your eyes speak reflections, so close to my heart.
Touch of lightness, and of brightness,
You wake my heart to each new day.
Light and brightness all around me
Digit's child brings joy to me.
(composed by Liz of Greenstrings Music 1990)
"Mwelu" means in Swahili "a touch of brightness and light". She was the baby of Digit - Dian Fossey's(see the Film "Gorillas in the Mist") favourite silverback Mountain Gorilla killed by poachers on 31st December 1977 and to whose memory Dian formed the Digit Fund which maintained the Karisoke Research Centre and operated anti-poacher patrols in conjunction with the Rwandan Office of National Parks' own guards.
Mwelu ws born after Digit's death to Simba; Dian named her Mwelu after an American girl, Debi Hamburger, who had wanted to work with Dian at Karisoke but had been stricken by cancer just before she was due to depart for Karisoke in 1976. Upon her death Debi's parents' had her ashes scattered over the Virungas.
Unfortunately Digit's only offspring, Mwelu, lived only a few months, a victim of infanticide - a consequence of poachers having killed both Silverbacks : Digit and Uncle Berts of Group 4. Mwelu brought Dian much happiness in the few months of 1978 that she lived, and great sorrow when "the Bright and Shining Light" was extinguished.
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Do you like Peppermint Sticks?
Ode to the Little Perppermint Sticks
Dearest little peppermint sticks, sitting so forlorn
I know you would rather be in my tum, that in that jar ....... alone.
But dearest little peppermint sticks,
You are my friend so great
Cos you shine your peppermint smile - and light my day that way.
So don't be lonely, don't be sad
My tummy loves you still.
And the day will come when peppy stick and tum
Unite just as One!
(This light-hearted song was written recently (2011) for someone who was asked to refrain from eating peppermint sticks while receiving holistic therapy.... unfortunately it was their favourite "sweet"....... and this little song was written to bring a smile back to their face while they were without their peppermint sticks......!
Giant tree in the Waipoua Kaun Forest, North Island of New Zealand.
(Photo: courtesy of Panetta Healing student Diane of Australia who can be seen in the bottom right hand corner of the photograph)
Information Sheet for "Knight of the Forest"
Liz wrote "Knight of the Forest" in 1989 and it is dedicated to Chico Mendes - Defender of our Planet's rainforests and murdered on 22nd December 1988.
He was the Leader of the Brazilian Rubber Tappers and one of the most stalwart Defenders of the Amazon. He was shot in Xapuri near the Bolivian Border.
In defending the interests of the Rubber Tappers, Chico Mendes astutely and passionately pioneered a very different kind of development in the Amazon based on the idea of "Permanent Extraction Reserve" as an alternative to uncontrolled deforestation.
Rubber Tappers need large areas of intact Rainforest to harvest their raw material thereby creating a working reserve from which nuts, fruits, resins and waxes and other genetic resources can be sustainably extracted.
Do you remember Ice & Snowflake?
Tribute to Ice & Snowflake
The scene was set for the Powers to meet
Off the Coast of Alaska.
The curtain was raised showed an ice-capped stage
With whales trapped longing for freedom.
Ice-cutting ships of the two Great Powers
Worked with Warriors of Freedom
Paving the way through the ice each day
To give Ice & Snowflake their freedom.
Some might say what a mighty great shame
To spend money freeing these creatures.
A lavish display from the Powers on stage
To perform good Public Relations.
But when all is said, Ice & Snowflake got,
These two nations working together
To pave the way for a mighty great chain
That could link us all forever.
So let it be said that the stage has been set
For us all to join together.
For if we believe we are each a link in the forces of creation
We can turn aside from pure monetary guide
And listen to the Power of Reason
For each of us affects the other half
So lets join forces together.
Cos the scene was set and the Powers did meet
And showed we can work together
So join the Warriors of Freedom.
"Operation Breakthrough" where the US Dept of State and Soviet Union joined forces to free 3 grey whales trapped in packed ice near Point Barrow in 1988. The youngest whale died but the other 2 whales survived. Cited in this song as "Ice & Snowflake" they were later renamed. The youngest whale (called Bone) died.
It was an amazing and wonderful display of how Man is capable of working in Unity - Harmony - with each other.......
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