On October 7th, Fractofusus celebrated the new Tree Charter with music in Oxford and Wytham Woods.
The Charter is being launched this year, the 800th anniversary of the Forest Charter. See https://treecharter.uk.
Wytham Woods was donated to Oxford University by the ffennells in memory of their daughter Hazel, and is used for research by students from the university. In the morning, we sang to accompany a walk round the woods, led by conservator Nigel Fisher.
In the evening we gave a concert in Oxford, at the Friends’ Meeting House in St Giles. One of our pieces was based on the audience members’ response to the question ‘What is a tree?’ – here are the words:
What is a tree?
What is a tree – Why? What is a tree? It’s a tree of course
Living energy fixed in one space
A tree is something that grows tall,
has a canopy of green leaves that makes shade that you rest in,
And, once a year, it gives fruits, that you eat or make jelly from
A tree is a wooden time machine
Roots and leaves.
A delta of life.
A continuously reforming body.
A plant with a wooden stem
An epitome of life
A tree is a living energy that resonates with me and all being
We are all interconnected
Trees help us breathe
A tree is a living trunk and roots, branches and leaves. It breathes out O2 in the daytime which other living things breathe in
A living growing organism
Living energy fixed in one space
Percussion from Wytham Woods