FESTIVALS, SAINTS, LEGENDS

In Steiner schools and in Camphill communities we celebrate the christian festivals through the year, as well as multinational festivals depending where and with whom we are!

Jean was able to add that extra layer to our festivals with her songs. She wrote plays for these celebrations, and changed legends like St Bride into works of art. She encouraged coworkers from different parts of the world to share their songs, then translated their traditional songs into English. Jean was interested in Norse myth too and wrote a play for the young people in Camphill Coleg Elidyr.

Jean made use of existing poetry and composed the music for it. Some examples are: ‘The Donkey’ by G.K.Chesterton; ‘I heard Christ sing’ by Hugh MacDiarmid (surprisingly, as MacDiarmid was an atheist) ….. but most of the other songs we can attribute to Jean for her words and music.

She wrote stories to be read out or told in assemblees, and some legends turned into plays. To name just a few:

• St Bride

• Norse myth Odin

• Shepherd of Myddfai

• Parzifal

• St Barbara