The Hum of the Hive
The Mere Singers
Written in collaboration with The Mere Singers, Michael Betteridge and Emma Purshouse
“A Shropshire song of settling, of yearning
of spinning worlds, of seasons turning
the hive is a hum”
The Mere Singers, a Shrewsbury-based community choir, created a text rooted in the natural world, teamwork, togetherness, and the geography of their local surroundings, in collaboration with poet Emma Purshouse. Composer Michael Betteridge worked with the choir to create the choral piece.
“It felt good to do something different and be part of something that could help local art too”
The music video, captured as part of the process, shows the singers stretching their arms towards each other, with footage of the natural world shining through their portraits. The choir also come together in a local bandstand to sing as a collective.
“We have shared our talents to create something unique and beautiful”
THE HUM OF THE HIVE
And the hive is a hum of blue sky singing
Zee zee zum Zee zee zum Zee zee zum zee zum
a re-wilding song of longing and belonging
Yes the hive is a hum
a shifting song of leaving and returning
Zee zee zum Zee zee zum Zee zee zum zee zum
A Shropshire song of settling, of yearning
of spinning worlds, of seasons turning
the hive is a hum
And so we come
fly to the calling town,
take to the bursting sky
over roof tops and the busy markets
bringing our happy wax
our making light, our working lives
to pipe at the town wall,
buzz on the bypass,
gather at the gates,
yes we swarm,
yes we swarm,
yes we swarm,
follow
along riverbanks
otter’s
golden odyssey
where thoughts
are water boatmen scudding
house martins diving
apple blossom
good thyme
Quarry limes
We’re building bridges
crossing bridges
Coming down from
our blue remembered hills
yes we swarm
yes we swarm
yes we swarm
like pollen motes
on a southerly breeze
ablowing in
from patchwork fields
from the mosses
and the meres
from the theres
to the here
we’re winging in
yes we swarm
yes we swarm
yes we swarm
over the loop of the Severn
from all around the Wrekin
from the Lyth
from the Edge
from the borders
and the foreign shores
in from the storms
bringing our waggle dance
our sweet sweet song
of the swarm
yes we swarm
yes we swarm
yes we swarm
making bee roads in
to a flowering town
to make for the hive
make the hive hum
zeee zee zum zee zee zum
with our wild summer song
our honeyed hymn
to our place
in bloom
zeee zee zoom zee zee zoom
Yes the hive is a hum…with our blue sky singing
Zee zee zum Zee zee zum Zee zee zum zee zum
Our re-wilding songs of longing and belonging
Yes the hive is a hum
our shifting song of leaving and returning
Zee zee zum Zee zee zum Zee zee zum zee zum
our Shropshire song of settling, of yearning
of spinning worlds, of seasons turning
Yes the hive is a hum
Zee zee zum
Zee zee zum
Is a home
Zee zee zum
to the many as one
Zee
Zee
zummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Yes, a home
Yes, a home
to the many as one
Zee
Zee
Zum
Zum
Creative Team Credits
Composer, Michael Betteridge
Writer, Liz Mytton
Movement Director, Ruth Jones
Filmmaker, Luca Rudlin
Sound Engineer, Johnny Woodhead
Creative Producer, Holly Hunter