TS031

Winter's Child
Stephen Godsall

purchase on BANDCAMP

releases December 13, 2023

STEPHEN GODSALL – WINTER’S CHILD

1) I wonder as I wander
2) Winter's Child
3) Hitting the slopes
4) Glamorous Granny
5) We free kings


The Tracks :

"I wonder as I wander" is based on a folk tune collected by John Jacob Niles in 1933. Niles was visiting the town of Murphy in Appalachian North Carolina. He came across a fundraising meeting held by evangelicals who had been ordered out of town by the police. A young girl sang one line of the song but refused to sing any further until she was paid for each line. Niles completed the carol by writing words for three verses.

There are many fine arrangements of the tune but he thought it would suit nylon strung guitar with string quartet.

Traditional, arranged by Stephen Godsall


"Winter's Child", Stephen wrote the music first for this one and came up with the title - but it needed some lyrics. Then he found the children's book of the same name, written by Angela McAllister and illustrated by Grahame Baker-Smith.

It tells the story of Tom, who wishes Winter will never end, then meets another boy who shares his love of snow and ice. Playing together every day, Tom hardly notices that spring doesn't come - until he realises the terrible effect of unending winter is having on the countryside and his sick grandma. His friend is Winter's child, and for the seasons to go on the friends must say goodbye until next year.

The lyrics explore the same ideas as the book, including the section where the two boys make winter music with icicles in a forest. Stephen recorded the instruments, including two ukulele parts as this is the final track of his "Ukulele forms" album. Then he added ten vocal parts, which was a lot of fun!

Words and music by Stephen Godsall - All voices and instruments by Stephen Godsall


"Hitting the slopes" is a little ski-rock, complete with Austrian sleigh bells.

Written and played by Stephen Godsall


"Glamorous Granny": A friend told Stephen about his experiences on dating apps for mature romantics - after that he couldn't resist writing this song! It features the surprisingly unusual combination of acoustic and banjo ukuleles, plus three types of ukulele percussion.

Words, music instruments and vocal by Stephen Godsall


"We free kings" is a traditional, arranged and played by Stephen Godsall. He loves the versions of this carol by Roland Kirk and also Barbara Dennerlein. This arrangement for guitar, bass and drums borrows from both.

arranged and played by Stephen Godsall