Poetry Practise With Author Angela, Teacher, Alison and Writers Weekend Organizers, The Hobbs Family

Angela Lansbury, author, performer of comic poetry, with Alison Chisholm poetry teacher and author, at Fishguard Bay Hotel in Wales. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Angela Lansbury, author and poet, reading three of  her short poems from her laptop. you can see I am looking down when I should be looking at the audience.

Angela Lansbury, author and poet, reciting from memory and improvising a rap poem about being 'Busy as a bee', in Fishguard Bay Hotel, during the annual Writers' Holiday.

Angela Lansbury, author and poetry performer, with another poetry performer, Scottish Fiona. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Fishguard Bay Hotel, Writers' Holiday, family of organizers and a regular speaker. From Left, Gerry Hobbs, his son David who drives us to the station, daughter-in-law and supporter, Speaker and course leader and author Stephen Wade, Gerry's wife Anne Hobbs, who gives the opening night welcome speech. She says: 'They only rule is there are no rules. Actually, there is one rule: Enjoy yourself.'

The next Writers' Holiday is February 2021.

Useful Website

writersholiday.net

About the Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author, speaker, teacher of English and other languages.
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Highlights of Writers' Holiday in Wales

Writers' Holiday is held every year, once in summer for a week, and for long weekends in spring and autumn. The location is Fishguard Bay Hotel, overlooking Fishguard Bay, and the organisers are Gerry and Anne Hobbs, who are Welsh, hence the flags with the red Welsh dragon on the flags displayed in the room used as a book room during the holiday week.

Although it is called a holiday, lots of series instruction in useful skills takes place. 

Poetry Course and New Form such as the Douzain

Several kinds of writing are covered, This year Alison Chisholm taught a poetry course covering several kinds of poetry scheme. The course ends with a live performance of poets reading their work. (See my earlier posts.) 

Formatting and Loading Up E-books

For me the most useful new skills were the training in formatting ebooks. I attended two courses, One was run by Malcolm Chisholm. The other was run after tea by Chris Oliver. They both spent a lot of time demonstrating how to load up an ebook onto Lulu.com or Smashwords. They also discussed Amazon's Createspace. We learned how to save our files with dates and other key words grouped in folders, and various technical terms, such as HTML. 

Book Binding

We even learned from Chris Oliver that you can bind books using a DIY press with edges to hold the pages. Alternatively, see on YouTube how books are bound using a flower press or press for a tennis racquet.

I discovered the difference between the paragraph symbol and the symbol for line break or return. We also discussed the merits of inserting breaks before and after paragraphs. 

Illustrations

We were able to see and buy books in the book room, signed by the author, and to look at the paintings and sketches produced in the art class run by Susan Allison. She had taught the group about the merits and uses of different sized brushes for watercolour washes. The results were impressive. A useful course, for those who want to illustrate books (add illustrations to a book whose main feature is the story or text), or to make Illustrated Books (books whose main feature is a series of books by one illustrator, a collection of drawings on the artist's favourite theme such as dogs, sometimes a picture book, or one where a text is added to link the pictures or human or animal

Paintings displayed in the art room overlooking Fishguard Bay.

character).

Paintings by short story writer Della Galton.

Della Galton, short story writer.

Val Webster is very proud of her painting of trees at sunset.

Welsh flags at Fishguard By Hotel, Fishguard, Wales, and Steve Wade, author of books about criminals.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Writing poetry and songs at Writers' Holiday in Wales

How did I come to write poems on seagulls and the invention of the pop up toaster at Writers' Holiday in Wales? Poetry was the subject of one of the after tea talks at Writers' Holiday held in Fishguard Wales in July 2016. Course leader Alison Chisholm always comes up with amusing ideas. And usually a tiny free gift.

The Poetry Homework Challenge
This year those planning to perform at the performance night were given two pieces to write. One was inspired by what was written on a piece of folded paper pulled from a box. I pulled out the word toast.

The other was a tiny frame you can use to frame a picture or item seen in a room. Hold it close to you and your body or book and it can frame an object such as the watch on your wrist. Look through it and depending on the distance you hold it, you can see an entire room or one small item in the distance.

Writer's Ambition
I am tired of writing poetry. In another class by Steve Wade we were asked to write Poetics, a cross between a mission statement and a cv and a marketing description and an ambition. We were asked to write about our past successes at writing and being published, our current projects and our future plans or hopes.

Songs
One of my hopes is to write songs. I try to write a song each day.

A Round
Therefore for Alison I chose to write a verse which could also be a round. I was surprised to find that the construction of a round song is no different. All you do is have different groups of people singing different lines or who verses in succession.

The text (lyrics) for a group of singers, musicians playing the tune and a conductor, would have to be written showing where the voices overlap, with two three, four or more lines of lyrics staggered on different lines under the music staves.

If I am the only performer, I don't need any directions.

If I direct the audience or a group of singers to sing with me, I have to provide them with photocopies or prints of the lyrics, or to print them out three or four times.

All the performers do a rehearsal. Therefore, prior to the performance I have to show my verses to Alison, as she requested, to get her approval of the performance and check the rhyme, rhythm and sense. She might wish to make additions to make it more original or interesting.

I picked two traditional round because I wanted to check the syllable count, rhythm and rhyming scheme. The first song I chose was the traditional Frère Jacques. I wrote the syllable count at the end of each verse

Song 1
The original goes:

Frère Jacques, Frère Jacques (4)
Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous? (4)
Sonnez la matina, Sonnez la matina (6) (6)
Ding, dang, dong, Ding, dang, dong. (3) (3)

The words mean: Brother Jack, Brother Jack, are you sleeping? Are you sleeping? Ring (the bells) for  morning (prayers), ring the bells for morning prayers, ding dang dong. The last three words are onomatopeic (sound like what the word is describing).

I seem to remember that when I looked up the words, it was not le matina as I remembered, but La matina which would be Latin rather than French. The Matina or Matins being morning prayer(s).

Here is my song, sung to the same tune:

T for Toast and Toast for Tea
Song by Angela Lansbury

Let's toast seed bread, let's toast seed bread
Don't let's wait, don't let's wait
Put it in the toaster, put it in the toaster
For our tea, for our tea.

Alternatively
Come and toast my seed bread

Here's a version about the person who invented the toaster:

The toaster was invented in Scotland in 1893 but the pop up toaster was invented by Charles Strite in 1919.
The Invention of The Pop Up Toaster
by Angela Lansbury

For centuries the world would bake
Toasted teacakes were loved by most
After King Alfred burned the cakes
Cooks could admit they burned the toast
It wasted money, wasted time
And made the cook feel such a fool
And everyone hoped someone else
Would make a smart new toasting tool

A toaster was invented
Transforming every tea
In Scotland after porridge
In 1893
In 1918 pop up toast
Was patented by one Charles Strite
Now his invention pops up toast
For breakfast worldwide day and night.

Song 2
To the tune of Sur le Pont d'Avignon (unless somebody can write a better tune)

By the Bay of Fishguard
Song by Angela Lansbury

By the bay of Fishguard
See the ferries, see the ferries
On the bay of Fishguard
See the ferries brave the waves.

In the bar, writers sit
Scribbling stories, scribbling stories
In the bar, writers sit
Writing novels full of wit.

In the bar, writers sit
Writing songs and writing poems
In the bar, writers sit
Writing novels full of wit.

Song 3
Here's another round song, Kookaburra.
My friend Sally told me that at Guides camp the girls used to sing the Kookaburra song.

Here are the words with the syllable count after each line for the creation of a parody sung to the rhythm and the same or a similar tune:

Kookaburra sits on an old gum tree (10)
Merry, merry king of the bush is he (10)
Laugh, kookaburra, laugh, kookaburra (10)
Gay your life must be. (5)

I wanted an English bird instead of the Australian bird. A seagull was most appropriate.

Seagull Song
by Angela Lansbury

My seagull sits on the balcony
Looking up and watching me
Fly, pretty seagull, fly, pretty seagull
Fly away to sea.

Copyright 2016
Angela Lansbury
Travel writer and photographer, author, poet, songwriter.
More about Fishguard Bay Hotel in previous posts. More about author Angela Lansbury in Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Lulu.com, amazon com, and other blogs.