Episode 2: Grandad's Biscuit Tin

Here We Are - The Pathhead Choir Songwriting Project

Oct 29 2023 • 20 mins

This episode hears from some of the project's songwriting participants about why they were interested in joining the songwriting group, from audience members who attended some of the concerts, and  from Andrew Lorrain-Smith,  one of the Here We Are project songwriters,  who talks about his experience of being in the project and being involved in writing the song 'Grandad's Biscuit Tin.'

You can watch the video of the performance of Grandad's Biscuit Tin at
https://youtu.be/zFsr4DpckUc

GRANDAD'S BISCUIT TIN (a song created from The Pathhead Choir Songwriting Project - Here We Are)
Lyrics by Andrew Lorrain-Smith and The Pathhead Choir Songwriting Group
Music by Sophie Bancroft

Too high for the kids,
too high for myself
Grandad’s tin sitting high on the shelf
I try to stay full of things that taste sweet
Things that I would choose to eat
I’m battered and scratched and a little bit faded

I sit here and watch the young growing up
It seems to me they hurry too much
Running around, feet off the ground
Wasn’t that how I was found?
I’m battered and scratched......

Listen my friends
Let me tell you what I see from here
It’s not the cards you get but more how you play
Sometimes you win,
other times you just walk away
With an act of kindness every day

So here I am now sitting up high
Mem’ries filled with flavour and smiles
Doing nothing is fine,
I’m savouring time
Not quite full but satisfied
I’m battered and scratched......

Listen my friends......

Too high for the kids
Too high for myself
Grandad’s tin sitting high on the shelf
I try to stay full
Of things that taste sweet
Things that I would choose to eat
I’m battered and scratched......

HERE WE ARE - The Pathhead Choir Songwriting Project saw Sophie Bancroft guiding a group of Pathhead Choir members aged 60+ to write original songs for The Pathhead Choir to perform. These songs were then arranged and notated for the choir by Pathhead Music Collective musicians and arrangers, rehearsed and performed by The Pathhead Choir, conducted by Sophie and choir co-leader Gina Rae, with Dave Milligan on piano. The choir gave three concerts around the Lothians in June 2023, performing eight new, original pieces.

Full information about the project, and sheet music and choir arrangements can be found at https://autumnvoices.co.uk/projects/the-pathhead-choir/