North Hykeham Celebration Song
Musician Jo Freya worked with local primary school children from Ling Moor Primary School to create lyrics for a celebratory song that was inspired by North Hykeham past and present. The children created a song that begins with the chanting of local street names, and goes on to refer to the industrial heritage of the town including the malleable iron works and the pea picking rooms. The song is inspired by the changes to the town has gone through, but with the message that its essence has remained the same.
Local sixth form pupils from North Kesteven School helped to compose the music to accompany the song working with Jo Freya and Crauford Thomson. Jo Freya and Crauford Thomson then worked with a local community choir The Hykeham High Notes to rehearse the song. School children from Ling Moor and South Hykeham Primary School joined the Hykeham High Notes to perform the new song on stage at the Winter Haecca event.
Listen to the song recorded by South Hykeham Primary School in January 2017.
Song Lyrics
Chant
Moor Lane, Mill Lane, Chapel Lane, School Lane
Meadow Lane, Water Lane, green Lane, Fen
Chorus
Over the years and the way it’s grown
North Hykeham’s where we call home
With its green grass and its blue sky
And its history of days gone by
This is North Hykeham
This is North Hykeham
With its green grass and its blue sky
And its history of days gone by
Verse 1
The smoke of iron works
So thick and dense
There was little clean air it made no sense
We’re so glad that all has changed
And we can breathe clean air again
Verse 2
November
1892
A pea picking room
A job to do
Seasonal in nature
A party once a year
The war may have stopped it
But the building’s still here
Verse 3
Though it’s Lincoln
That people see
We are distinct
Through our history
Though borders have merged
And boundaries have changed
The essence of North Hykeham
Remains the same.
Backing lines:
Verse 1: Smoke of works, Thick and dense, little air, made no sense
We’re so glad, all has changed, we can breathe, air again
Verse 2: November, 92, picking room, job to do, Seasonal, once a year, war stopped it, buildings here.
Verse 3: Lincoln, people see, we’re distinct, through history, borders merged, boundaries changed, North Hykeham remains the same