Spring Fever

Y’all, no joke, I am past ready for spring. I know I don’t have long to wait. March will be here tomorrow and that’s the day I put the spring wreath up. I love this wreath, and I think our cat does, too.

I’m ready for it to be warm again. I’m ready to wear sandals to work and not have to wear knee-high dress socks with my pants because it’s so cold.

To hold me over until then, I’ve made my spring playlist, and I’m going to pass it on to you! Music is very important to me and plays a large role in my life and my writing process. It’s a relatively calm playlist with some upbeat songs, and you’ll probably think it’s weird. Good! Normal is overrated. Sadly I can’t get you the whole song here, just previews, but you can listen to the whole thing with a Spotify account. If you don’t have one, they’re free!

1. The Mummer’s Dance by Loreena McKennitt

We’re going to start out with my favorite performer of all time, Loreena McKennitt! I discovered her on Pandora in 2012, and I fell in love with her music. This is the first song I ever heard by her, and it’s about a country spring festival. I actually had the privilege of taking my mom to see her a couple years ago when she visited Dallas.

2. Scarborough Fair/Canticle by Simon and Garfunkel

This classic is an all-around best and must have in any spring music mix. We actually visit the Scarborough Renaissance Festival every year in the spring, and it’s always so much fun. Many modern-day Celtic artists have covered this song, but you have to have the original.

3. Adiemus by Karl Jenkins and Mark Ratledge

This is an interesting song. We sang this in high school choir, though we never performed it at our concerts, and I wish we had. The lyrics of this song are complete gibberish. They aren’t any kind of real language, but the point of the song to begin with was that anyone, regardless of language, would be able to understand the spirit of the song through the music and made-up lyrics. I often find myself singing along to this without realizing I started!

4. Now We Are Free by Lisa Gerrard

You may actually know this one! It was composed for the soundtrack for the 2000 film Gladiator. Again, these are made-up lyrics, but it was perfect for the movie…which I still have yet to see all the way through.

5. Newgrange by Clannad

Did you know Newgrange is another name for Stonehenge? I didn’t, at least not until I started listening to New Age and Celtic music. By the way, Stonehenge is on the list of places to travel to, so if anyone wants to get that travel gofundme going…just saying. Ok, just kidding. Not really.

6. Huron ‘Beltane’ Fire Dance by Loreena McKennitt

When I think of spring, I don’t just think about warmer weather and flowers. I almost feel my spirit waking up from hibernation. I think about what it would’ve been like to have a vernal equinox at Stonehenge, dancing around Beltane fires, and stuffing berries in my mouth, because why not? It’s a great instrumental track and is really fun to dance to!

7. Crimson and Clover by Tommy James & the Shondells

In the words of the great comedians of Monty Python, “and now for something completely different.” This song screams spring to me. We’re still calm from the dark winter months, but we’re perking up a bit.

8. The Ballad of Midsomer County by Lucie Jones and Seth Lakeman

Ok, if you know anything about my husband and I, it’s that we love, LOVE the show Midsomer Murders. British murder mysteries are delightful, and this one really takes the prize for just how EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY IS GETTING MURDERED. You’d think there would be a wider investigation into it, but for some reason there isn’t. This song was featured in an episode and was actually at the center of all the murders. It’s a beautiful, cautionary tale about keeping promises.

9. The Shepherd’s Song by Medæval Bæbes

This group from England is pretty awesome. They’re keeping Medieval music alive through their work, and it’s all female–win and win! I found out about them in college when we used some of their music for our production of Macbeth. This song is very seductive and fun. Shepherds weren’t known for their morals. There’s a reason the Greek god Hermes was the god of shepherds as well as tricksters!

10. Dúlaman by Celtic Woman

Can I tell you a secret? I have absolutely no idea what this song is about, but it’s fun to dance to. Spring makes me want to dance! It’s perfect. Celtic Woman has also been around for a long time, and their library is extensive. Check them out if you haven’t before.

So there you have it. Ten (mostly) offbeat songs for you to listen to as you wait for spring. Hope you enjoy it!

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