#244: National History Playlist #2: Secret Keeper

This song featuring the Royal Northern Sinfonia, was commissioned by Newcastle Gateshead Initiative for the Great Exhibition of the North in 2018.

It was accompanied by some visuals when the song was first shown on TV, and some drones as well.

The song's lyrics refer to a beech tree, into which a couple carve their initials (this is not to be encouraged of course). It grows, as does their relationship... as decades pass and a new couple appears at the tree. The tree has borne witness to plenty of change in the landscape, including the closure of the mines.

I have seen the skyline shift as I've grown older
Let the future be a gift as it grows bolder
My roots grow deeper, secret keeper