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Saltings

by Rev Simpkins

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    32-page full colour saddle-stitched 210 x 210 mm art book of illustrations by Tom Knight for each song.

    Includes full lyrics and an essay by Matthew Simpkins.

    Printed on high quality Aquarello Gesso art paper.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Saltings via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 7 days

      £15 GBP or more 

     

  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Seven long months in the making, the vinyl version of Saltings by Rev Simpkins is now available to pre-order. We have these in the building and they will ship on or before 21 October 2022. This is proper pressed vinyl album (not a lathe-cut) in a strictly limited edition of 90 copies.

    If you would like a version of the LP with the art book, please see the option below.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Saltings via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 7 days

      £18 GBP or more 

     

  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Seven long months in the making, the vinyl version of Saltings by Rev Simpkins is now available to pre-order. We have these in the building and they will ship on or before 21 October 2022. This is proper pressed vinyl album (not a lathe-cut) in a strictly limited edition of 90 copies. Plus a 32-page full colour saddle-stitched 210 x 210 mm art book of Tom Knight’s illustrations, with lyrics and an essay by Rev Matthew Simpkins. The book is printed on deluxe Aquarello Gesso art paper.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Saltings via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 7 days

      £25 GBP or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      £7 GBP  or more

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 11 Rev Simpkins releases available on Bandcamp and save 20%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Apple, Pissabed Prophet, Saltings, For Every Number (EP), Poor Child for Thee: 4 Songs for Christmastide, Big Sea, Advent (Single), Sing Your Life EP, and 3 more. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      £36.80 GBP or more (20% OFF)

     

1.
Hail to the new King of England Hail to the new Sovereign of the States When he comes around You will know him by his crown When he leaves you’ve learned that death’s his name Sometimes he passes silently Sometimes he snuffs your sense of smell Sometime he rests Lays himself across your chest Till you get to know him well Kyrie Eleison Hail to the new Duke of Lombardy Hail to the new Prince of Peru His taste is for the lost The unloved, the shunned, forgot For the outcast and estranged Kyrie Eleison Pray mercy for the refugee Pray mercy for the old and poor Pray mercy for all those who mourn or die alone And pray mercy when he knocks upon on your door
2.
Wisdom shows That down below this snow Lies lifeless grain From which the barley grows Frost turns to dew As green shoots work through The cold black clods For which we praise our God We went out weeping and sowed But when we’re going home is not ours to know It’s not ours to know when we’ll break bread together again Ice-skimmed streams Let waters pass unseen To creep into the creeks That fold into the sea Which breathes itself away And forms the clouds and rain That waters fruitful sods For which we praise our God We went out weeping and sowed But when we’re going home is not ours to know It’s not ours to know when we’ll break bread together again Find me the priest With her book and her bell Bring us the ploughshare To consecrate it well Bless this blade Which hard-worn hands have made To turn the clods Then, please God, turn our lot We went out weeping and sowed And when we’re going home is not ours to know But we’ll break bread together again
3.
Every East Coast boy loves salt and light And the chaos of the sea When you live before the power of the waves You learn cold equality When to Peldon Hill from Mersea Marsh The Black Death swept its way Oh, the young John Ball saw that illness and death Crave all people equally Yet in the fields worked children and men Who toiled as property As the yoke fixed fast the ox to the plough They were yoked to poverty Holding all this suff’ring in his heart John was called to be a priest Reading how he cared for Jesus Christ Was shown by his care for the least As he learned the Word and prayed the prayers New light on him did fall: That if God’s love rests on every soul Then each soul must care for all So John preached this truth from Genesis: That when Adam delved, Eve spun As the only Lord was God above Who was then the gentleman? When the people rose and marched in hope John went preaching at their head And for telling kings their equal worth He was tortured until dead Through the mists of myth a truth speaks clear: There’s a dignity in all And the Commonweal’s a fragile thing When power and wealth enthral So let’s make a faithful pilgrimage To the Chapel of John Ball Where we’ll bow our heads and bend our knees Praying make troublous priests of us all!
4.
Sing with me to remember Sing with me to forget Sing from hope, not regret I know you’re tired I see you’re spent We call you a hero But don’t help you find the rent For every number you knew the name When you’re low, sing with me When you’re low, sing with me Sing with me to remember Sing with me to forget Sing from hope, not regret When you get home You feel alone though love and noise surround you The memories linger on For every number you knew the name When you’re low, sing with me When you’re low, sing with me Sing with me to remember Sing with me to forget Sing from hope, not regret When you’re low, sing with me
5.
Give me words Give me grace To make hope real in this place Where fresh streams tumble down Mingling at the Gathering Grounds There springs pure water All things are made new And sorrow and parting and death are subdued Oh won’t you lead us, lead us down To the Gathering Grounds Hope springs Tears roll down Both flow to the Gathering Grounds Where our lost ones are found Singing as true love abounds There springs pure water To soothe salted eyes All absence is absent where love never dies Oh won’t you lead us, lead us down To the Gathering Grounds Gentle Shepherd of sheep Gather all who mourn and weep Lead where joy can resound Bring us to the Gathering Grounds There springs pure water All things are made new And sorrow and parting and death are subdued Oh won’t you lead us, lead us down To the Gathering Grounds
6.
When she sings alone in her room Absence seeps into the walls Closing her eyes She summons ghost harmonies Raising a hymn, silence falls Hold me, hold me Enfold me again Hold me again Hand shadows hand pressed to cold windowpane Salted eyes meet through glass Love brought us near That same love keeps us apart Fingertips slide away numbed Hold me, hold me Enfold me again Ghost harmonies Catch on the breeze Beneath her door She prays once more To be held again And to sing together Some find hope down a telephone line Some reach out through a screen Some sit with nothing but the ticking of a clock Some die alone unseen Hold me, hold me Enfold me again Ghost harmonies Catch on the breeze Beneath her door She prays once more To be held again And to sing together
7.
Under an old Essex road Lie the stones of a long-lost church Named for St Runwald, a baby prince and saint And here’s how that infant’s story’s told: The instant that child was born He pulled himself up and took breath Crying, “My darling Mother, O my royal Father dear In three fleeting days I’ll be dead So call for the priest and his oils Then draw some water from the well And christen me Runwald by the Father, Son and Holy Ghost This night I’ve a sermon to tell!” Raising his eyes to the heavens He prayed that God might guide his infant tongue A cot for his pulpit, swaddling bands for robes “Harken all you sinners!” he began “Beware of those babblers who hold forth To fill the air with the cackling caws of crows Who crave fools for their captains, train tricksters to be kings Then fill their minds with proud imaginings When riches buy favour and grace And truth counts for nought when rulers speak Then swap rumour for wisdom and raise up the humble and meek As God puts down the mighty from their seats!” When time came for Runwald to depart The saint tried to ease his parents’ hearts Saying, “Three dawns and sunsets makes a holy number of days For in three days the Lord destroyed the grave” Now listen well all you who have ears For Runwald’s sermon calls to us all: If you follow babblers or lend your trust to fools By cruel whim, not love, you’ll be ruled
8.
Up on my bed my soul sought its love I sought him, but I found him not I called aloud, but no answer came So I rose to seek my love My lover spoke and said unto me “Rise up, rise and come away Though autumn’s ripeness must fade to death Winter now is past Winter can’t deny the spring” Set me as a seal upon your heart Passion is fierce as the grave Its flames are flashes of fire Many waters cannot quench love Neither can this love be drowned If all the world’s wealth were offered for love It would all be scorned It would be scorned utterly Set me as a seal upon your heart Passion is fierce as the grave Its flames are flashes of fire
9.
At the mouth of the creek that drains out to the fleet I went praying, walking on the wall To my right, warbling larks To my left, muddy marsh Bright behind me, burning blackthorn blooms Ghosting past A cross for his mast Saint Cedd rides Blessing the tide On my heart: empty pews Bolted doors, fonts unused Hands not held, Psalms left unsung So I ask Cedd for peace Staring out to the east Past his chapel and into nought Seeking port By the shore fort Cedd arrives Blessing the tide From that same troubled sea Wash up foe and missionary Chapels rise and chapels fall May the withdrawing roar Thunder back to this shore As the spring tide rushes on Sailing home Cedd stands alone At the stern Watching the tide turn
10.
Through the long, long day of this troublous life Support us, Lord, till evening comes When the shadows yawn and the world is hushed Life’s fever falls and our work is done Then, in mercy, grant us safe lodging And a holy rest and a blessed calm And peace, peace at the last So be it.

about

8/10 Vive le Rock
'[amid] the tender country strains of Saltings...the intensity builds between the notes...his vocals are magnificent, as is the production...with an outstanding book by Tom Knight that will take your breath away'

'Saltings' is a close collaboration between Matt Simpkins and the Mersea Island artist, Tom Knight, who has created a stunning work of art for each song on the LP.

It is a loving portrait of the mystery and beauty of the salt marsh wildernesses of Essex, and a meditation on the human cost of the wilderness time of the pandemic.

Like Rev Simpkins's last LP, 'Big Sea', 'Saltings' is most of all a record of unblinking realism amidst darkness, and of a hope grounded in human experience.

The album weaves together tales of the legendary and mysterious figures of the saltings, such as John Ball (leader of the peasants’ revolt) and Saint Cedd (whose Saxon chapel stands at Bradwell), with reflections on the wilderness’s ever-changing tides, skies, and seasons. Saltings is an attempt to share the atmosphere and history of this remarkable place in picture and song.

Matt writes, "I wrote these songs walking the saltings during the pandemic, pondering the tears of exhaustion, anger, fear, frustration and mourning that I’d seen in others. So the songs are themselves saltings: little tears. Instead of weeping, I wrote and I sang. But these aren’t sorrowful songs. I hope they speak of the hope that resides in the saltings, and of real life and real compassion."

Art prints of Tom's illustrations for 'Saltings' will be available to purchase from tomknightillustration.co.uk

credits

released March 25, 2022

Illustrations, design & typesetting by Tom Knight tomknightillustration.co.uk

Produced by Matthew Simpkins

Engineered by Matthew Simpkins and Karl Younger
Mastered by Dr Eric James, Philosophers Barn Mastering

Photograph by James Fletcher

Curlews and skylarks: singing
The Reverend Matthew Simpkins: singing, banjos, 12-string guitar, viola, bass, analogue synthesiser, theremin, organs and harmoniums, drums Martha Simpkins: singing
Siân Simpkins: French horn, singing
Karl Younger: drums

Immense thanks to: Tom Knight (for the incredible talent and love he has lavished on this project), Martha Simpkins, James Simpkins, Siân Simpkins, Karl Younger, Jason Whittaker, Eric James, Toby Bull, Dan Merrill, James Fletcher, Adam Wisher, and Stafford Glover.

All songs: words, music, arrangement and recording ℗ and © 2022 Matthew Simpkins. Except Hail to the New King of England: words and music ℗ and © 2020 Matthew Simpkins, arrangement and recording ℗ and © 2022 Matthew Simpkins; and For Every Number: words, music, arrangement and recording ℗ and © 2021 Matthew Simpkins.

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Rev Simpkins UK

Notorious sinner-songwriter, folk symphonist & Anglican priest.
The Rev’s unique psychedelic gospel and gritty folk owes as much to the Old Testament, & the dark folk tales & barren landscapes of Essex & Suffolk, as it does to his musical heroes Bert Jansch, Captain Beefheart & the Kinks. He comes from a long line of priests whose fiery performances characterise his own style. ... more

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