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Burning Daylight

by Christine Fellows

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1.
In the middle of the night I will take my leave the way I come, in a gunnysack drug over Chilkoot Pass. I stayed for the wild blue iris, hemlock and the devil’s club, for the glowing coals of burning daylight. The Yukon thirsts under a coat of ice near three feet thick. She’s unquenchable in spring and early fall. Damned if I could beat the ice run, out of spite she took my dogs. One by one they slipped into her waters. I howled in vain, January through Victoria Day, nursed my mother while the river seethed and raged. She shouted, “Pack the sled! I’m goin’!” May her dogs keep their legs, may her matches always draw a fire. You frostbitten warriors, bounding for glory, I howl for thee You frostbitten warriors, bounding for glory, I howl for thee You frostbitten warriors, bounding for glory, howl for me In the middle of the night we must take our leave the way we come, tether harness to the burning daylight.
2.
On Trail 02:17
Two bags of oats, one sugar, one flour Hardtack must be gift-wrapped, string goes once around, twice around In summer, I travel light pinch of salt, rifle, whipsaw and a coffee can but winter, she’s a cruel master 50 below, 60 below, colder at night (more than you know, more than you know) One winter we nearly starved Six dogs, just skin and bones Buck went mad, burst in the cabin, ate a candle whole flame and all In winter it is not wise to set on trail all on one’s own I’m going out there anyhow, gonna take her home San Francisco here we come me and Mum
3.
a soft growl, a whisper quick from the slumber from hollows and burrows we leap out kick the frost from our ragged paws we live to run we run for the wander (we run further yonder) tethered to shadows long (tethered to shadows) we run with our whole hearts’ abandon our shadows run tall as the mountains we live to run we watch and we wait here we watch her through half-closed eyes ears tuned to howls in the distance she lights the fire we cry we live to run
4.
Grey wolf circling the darkness, a crooked light in her eyes Grey fur bristling with frost, she leans into the night remembering, remembering, remembering (hear me, hear me call)
5.
Panic red rises up from its shallow breath Rears its head, slams its weight into hollow chest I give! I give! Arms thrash, blind, a wild, jagged run along the trail Snow screams, angered by the wind, and the trees shiver and wail I live! I live!
6.
On this winter morning wake up, up above the tree-line, in the dark shivering On this winter night you will sleep dreamless underneath a canopy of stars wherever you are, wherever you are Oh, to build a fire On this lonely mountain turn to watch the snow creep down into the valley, you stumble and fall On this lonely mountain you will lie face up, waiting for the fire to subside shivering Oh, to build a fire
7.
I would rather be ashes than dust I would rather my spark burn out in a brilliant blaze I would rather be a meteor, every atom in magnificent glow
8.
I saw these dreamers of dreams go by, I trod in their footsteps a space; Each marched with her eyes on the sky, Each passed with a light on her face. They came from the hopeless and sad, They faced the future and gold; Some the tooth of want’s wolf had made mad, And some at the forge had grown old. The light will fade from each eye, The smile from each face; They will curse the impassable sky, And the earth when the snow torrents race. Some will sink by the way and be laid In the frost of the desolate earth; And some will return to a maid, Empty of hand as at birth.
9.
Feu de joie 03:06
You were born May 24th in early morning on the banks of the great river, muddy and wide I heard from a distance the feu de joie and bagpipes felt the pull of the gold rush for the very first time Oh Emmylou, you were my prize Oh Emmylou, you were mine You were born to embrace the great white silence On the frozen river she waits by your side She sees from a distance those dogs flat out runnin’ “Man might win the battle, but woman hold the field” Oh Emmylou, you were my prize Oh Emmylou, you were mine
10.
At last the dawn bids rasp and bray all gold Its broken strains pierce shadows cast all gold GLORIOUS! A faint voice pleads Her yellow light burns cold Her broken strains cast frozen earth in gold GLORIOUS!
11.
A thousand miles from nowhere wind will rankle ravens’ wings I did not see you go there No one saw you go In that snow-choked valley creeks run black in ragged lines A thousand miles from nowhere No one saw you go Down from the mountains the little streams will tumble The sun will flood the valley rousing crocus, blooming willow The wild dogs and wolves will raise their muzzles to the sky run circles in the melting snow where no one saw you go
12.
Winter was hard on everyone Winter was hard on everyone Trail-sore and tired Cold ashes of dead fires The darkness and pain drew down on everyone Spring is a fearful, raging river You think winter was hard Think again
13.
Eldorado 01:39
You could never leave but you could never stay The perfect equilibrium to keep your heart at bay Speck up on the mountain, shadow on the hill, so far away still Swimming out to sea, skimming ‘round the bay They’ll gladly let you dock here but you get for what you pay Waving from the pier, shoring up the bank. What are you waiting for? What are you waiting for? You could always leave. You could always stay, stumble on the icy path, roll backward down that mountain
14.
Arcadia! 03:08
speak in chirps, winnow those skinny featherless claws you can’t unlearn what lives within you can’t unlearn what lives within eyes shine bright in the dark, that curious blue glare happiest among the dogs, skim along on calloused palms dive headlong hit the dirt shadows huddle, clouds scream past tongue escapes the lips to taste the salt and muck and melting plastic silence cracks in a word deliver me arms stretched out in air sprint across the spring-green lawn disappear— Arcadia! no mother, no father beating wings to carry me across the foothills to the sea

about

In a nutshell:
Winter was hard on everyone.

Burning Daylight was conceived in the backseat of a car on the way up to Dawson City, Yukon from Whitehorse in February, 2011—as a theatre piece, which it may yet grow up to be one day.

The album was originally released alongside a poetry collection by ARP Books; the book features a series of original collages by Alicia Smith, and package design by Urbanink. It can be ordered online via All Lit Up (Canada) and AK Press (US).

credits

released September 23, 2014

Produced by Christine Fellows
Recorded by David MacKinnon in a July 2013 heat wave at 6 Nassau, Toronto, Ontario
Mixed by David MacKinnon
Mastered by Andy Magoffin at House of Miracles in Cambridge, Ontario

Executive Producers: Lesandra Dodson and John K. Samson

The Burning Daylight Trio
Christine Fellows: piano, ukulele, melodion, pump organ, vocals
Alex McMaster: cello, clarinet, trumpet, vocals
Leanne Zacharias: cello, piano, vocals

Guest Musicians
Doug Friesen: trombone, double bass
Dave MacKinnon: guitar, piano, percussion, pump organ
Ed Reifel: glockenspiel, vibraphone, timpani, xylophone, bass drum, additional percussion
Greg Smith: harmonica on In a Far Country

Arrangements for Burning Daylight, On Trail, The Gold-Seekers, In a Far Country and The Last Stampede by Ford Pier

All songs C. Fellows SOCAN 2013

The following songs take their names from short stories by Jack London: Burning Daylight, Call of the Wild, The Sounding of the Call, To Build a Fire, In a Far Country and Grit of Women.

C. Fellows is grateful for the generous support of The Canada Council for the Arts (Grants to Individuals, Music Section), Manitoba Arts Council (Major Arts Grant and Manitoba/New Brunswick Residency Program) and The Winnipeg Arts Council (Individual Artist Grant) during the creation and development of the songs and arrangements. Special thanks to Camerata Nova for commissioning Arcadia!

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Christine Fellows Winnipeg, Manitoba

Christine Fellows finds music in sounds we tend to take for granted: the voices of the people we love, the sounds of the spaces we move through as part of our daily lives. Fellows is based in Winnipeg, Canada, where she collaborates with artists from all disciplines to create and produce performance works and recordings. ... more

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