The Cool of the Day
Music Relief in the Hot Summer Days!
VOICE NOTES: A FOLK DIVA’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY Number 50
Number 51, August 1, 2023
Now Is The Cool of The Day
Welcome to summer!
I think it’s probably a good guess that wherever you’ve been in the last few weeks, it’s been HOT. When I was thinking about what the blog for August should be about, I wondered what music can bring us some relief? I think we could all use a song that evokes the coolness of a green pasture, of a fair and gentle garden, of the cool of the day, whenever that happens, either late evening or early morning.
Jean Ritchie’s original song “Now Is The Cool of The Day” comes to mind to evoke such pleasures of cool relief. And with Jean’s song comes her message of care of the land and responsibility to humankind along the way. Here she is from her album “Songs For The Mountaintop.”
There is some scholarship about what Jean meant by the message of the Lord returning in the cool part of the day. I believe this is up for discussion and interpretation. However, I will tell you her story of the song’s creation.
During one very hot summer, Jean was at home doing housework, taking care of her two sons and her husband. On that very hot summer day, she was facing a pile of men’s shirts she had to iron, and the subject of the song came to her. And this is in keeping with the way the Ritchie family lived with and approached music and singing. The music lived along side them in their everyday lives of work and family, often springing from the most ordinary and practical of circumstances. And for Jean, steeped as she was in the folk songs of England, Ireland, Scotland and her native Appalachia, tunes were floating free in her mind and ear, just waiting for her to pen this exquisite, haunting melody.
NOW IS THE COOL OF THE DAY
Jean Ritchie
My Lord He said unto me,
Do you like my garden so fair?
You may live in this garden if you keep the grasses green,
And I’ll return in the cool of the day.
Now is the cool of the day,
Now is the cool of the day,
This earth is a garden, the garden of my Lord,
And he walks in his garden,
In the cool of the day.
Then my Lord he said unto me,
Do you like my pastures of green?
You may live in this garden if you will feed my lambs,
And I’ll return in the cool of the day.
Now is the cool of the day,
Now is the cool of the day,
This earth is a garden, the garden of my Lord,
And he walks in his garden,
In the cool of the day.
Then my Lord he said unto me,
Do you like my garden so free?
You may live in this garden if you keep the people free,
And I’ll return in the cool of the day.
Now is the cool of the day,
Now is the cool of the day,
This earth is a garden, the garden of my Lord,
And he walks in his garden,
In the cool of the day.
FAR-West In Person! Conference October 12-15 Woodland Hills, California
I want to revisit my announcement from last month, letting you all know about something wonderful that’s happening this October in Los Angeles in hopes that you will join me! It’s the 20th Annual FAR-West Music Conference October 12-15 at the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills, California.
FAR-West, the Western region of the Folk Alliance International, is holding their first in-person conference in FOUR YEARS! This year join us face-to-face where the folk music industry and community promotes a diverse mix of traditional, contemporary and multicultural folk music, dance, storytelling and related performing arts in the West. Whether you are an artist, industry professional, presenter, DJ, educator, hobbyist, or fan, there is something exciting here for everyone.
Registration includes full access to all conference events, the Saturday Best of the West luncheon and Sunday breakfast at the Annual General Meeting. Throughout the weekend there is so much great stuff going on: there is the Venue’s Choice concert on Thursday night, official showcases on Friday and Saturday nights, private showcases, educational panels and workshops, networking and peer sessions, jams and open mics, mentor sessions and so much more. REGISTER HERE
New events and content are being added every day, so register now and check back for updates. Sign up on the FAR-West mailing list here for all updates on the conference.
JOIN THE MAILING LIST HERE Click on “Mailing List Sign Up.”
A member of Folk Alliance International, FAR-West states consists of the Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, the Northwest and Yukon Territories of Canada, and the Canadian Provinces of Alberta and British Columbia.
As always, thanks for reading! See y’all next time.
Love and Blessings,
Susie
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Award-winning recording artist, Broadway singer, journalist, educator and critically-acclaimed powerhouse vocalist, Susie Glaze has been called “one of the most beautiful voices in bluegrass and folk music today” by Roz Larman of KPFK’s Folk Scene. LA Weekly voted her ensemble Best New Folk in their Best of LA Weekly for 2019, calling Susie “an incomparable vocalist.” “A flat out superb vocalist… Glaze delivers warm, amber-toned vocals that explore the psychic depth of a lyric with deft acuity and technical perfection.” As an educator, Susie has lectured at USC Thornton School of Music and Cal State Northridge on “Balladry to Bluegrass,” illuminating the historical path of ancient folk forms in the United Kingdom to the United States via immigration into the mountains of Appalachia. Susie has taught workshops since 2018 at California music camps RiverTunes and Vocáli Voice Camp. She is a current specialist in performance and historian on the work of American folk music icon, Jean Ritchie. Her newest CD is “Do You Have This in Blue?” released April of 2023, produced by Joe Craven, with guest players Laurence Juber, Bill Cunliffe and Joe Craven. Find it on Streaming Platforms Here! Susie now offers private voice coaching online via the Zoom platform. Email Susie Here. Visit Susie’s website here!
The Cool of the Day
Music Relief in the Hot Summer Days!
VOICE NOTES: A FOLK DIVA’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY Number 50