Down the Tyburn Trail: an original composition

A video I said I'd write about, in my previous post.

This is the song for which I received the inspiration after leaving Tyburn last year.

A few notes on this song:

• The song is about the infamous Tyburn trail at the height of the Reformation. Whilst I acknowledge the atrocities Catholics have committed around the era elsewhere and before this took place, I bear in mind that due to the failure to acknowledge the sanctity of marriage, Henry VIII made THE BIG SPLIT, and with that, was determined to silence anyone who went against him, and whose sympathies remained with the Catholic Church. Easily 100 priests, clergy and laymen were captured, taken to Newgate Prison (where they were often tortured by racking), brought to Westminster Hall to be tried, taken back to Newgate Prison, and finally dragged in the morning to Tyburn to be hanged, drawn and quartered at noon. That having been said, I am literally taking a leap of faith.
• The words read by the chaplain in sections of this video are attributed to St Edmund Campion, right when he was sentenced to death in Westminster Hall. I did not mute these parts, among others, so that you might understand the story behind our little journey.
• When I returned from Tyburn, I had but one line, in French: au sommet de la haine et de l'amour — at the summit of hatred and love. I told a friend, James, about my endeavours, and the history behind them. I even gave him the line which was in my head. I knew that I wanted to sing about the heartbreak that I felt. And with much regret for what had happened, he wrote me a beautiful set of lyrics, which I used for the final result.
• The videos in this montage are sourced from my vlog, troisnyxofficiel, and were taken during our first trailblazing from Westminster to Tyburn. I took them with shaky hands with my Lumix camera (I only got my Flip camera a month later!). I assembled everything with Windows Movie Maker, and the end credits were done on PowerPoint.
• I sang with a bad cough, and in the midst of torment.
• After having the idea for the song in October, and coming up with the tune for the verse a month or two later, I finally worked on the tune for the chorus, the full music and the vocals two days ago, and finalised the video yesterday.

That was a lot. But that is the story behind this song, which I now title "Down the Tyburn Trail", and I am glad and grateful that this song has seen completion.

Here are the lyrics:

There upon the hill are gathered hate and love —
One with his head held high, the other humbly knelt
To whisper his last words, unheard but warmly felt.
One carried axes, the other held a dove.

A haughty voice read words writ from above —
They hollow rang, and with bile are respelt.
The other whispered words, unheard yet warmly felt.
One carried axes, the other held a dove.

CHORUS:
When this dreadful thing is begun,
This long fight, never shall it be won!
When the near noon-tide hour chimes,
All shall be lost for its power!


High upon the hill are gathered hate and love —
One with his head held high, the other humbly knelt
He bent to whisper words unheard but warmly felt.
One clasped his axes, the other held a dove.

A haughty voice read words writ from above
And claimed his will was where all goodness dwelt —
When on that fateful hour, the noontide chilling knelled
One with his axes has cleaved in twain the dove.

(To chorus)

So there you go. A labour of love is finally complete.