“You won’t feel the same way forever,
Everything can change before too long”
Jenny Hill, from ‘One Day’
Songs for our times…
The Vital Spark project was inspired by my namesake – Jenny Hill (born 1849). She was a wonder!
Her story, told by Dr. Lola Wingrove (‘Reigniting the Vital Spark’), has some uncanny parallels to my own life, as a working musician navigating the (sometimes tricky) music industry. The themes of her songs felt very connected to a set of songs I’d written during lockdown. She was a social commentator, who reflected the lived experiences of working people, finding ways to ‘speak’ about subjects on which women were rarely given airtime. She has inspired me, and – in a strange way – encouraged me to share my own songs. ‘One Day’ is the first in the series.
Along with the songs, in the coming months I will be sharing stories, podcasts and wider inspiration about ‘how we keep our Vital Spark’ in the face of life’s various challenges. Many of the songs are humorous, aiming to make light of the tough stuff, but ‘One Day’ is not.
This song is about realising that ‘everything changes’, everything is impermanent, and that this realisation gives us space to accept change. No matter how good, or bad, things seem – it is ‘just for now’. A concept that is, to me, full of hope.
I hope that it will be of comfort to people who are facing difficulty; people who are feeling somewhat diminished in their ‘Vital Spark’. And, as I set sail on this new adventure, I hope to share useful things I have discovered, tools, tips and tricks for keeping your vital spark alight – no matter what the circumstances.
Please follow on Facebook and / or Instagram, and let me know what you’ve discovered about your own Vital Spark!
‘One Day’, Jenny Hill – The Vital Spark (with thanks to Dr Mark Summers, cellist)