John Barnard April 2023 Newsletter
Saved by a Song
The sunrise was shooting shafts of magnificent gold and orange light into the morning sky. It was a fresh autumn dawn and I was making my way to the farm via infrequently travelled gravel roads, rust red and rocky, filled with muddy pools of water from the storm the night before. I spent the night at my friends farm drinking wine and whiskey around the table with his family. Laughing, talking, unpacking the current state of affairs. They will be leaving soon, relocating to Cape Town and while I’m incredibly happy for them I’ve got a heavy feeling in my heart about it. They’ve been part of my small circle of chosen family and even though I’ll make my way down as often as possible I’m going to miss them.
Taking the corner at Suikerbos Farm the land dropped away and the Tygerfontein valley lay stretched out in a blanket of cosmos lined roads and turning trees, thick fog hovering over the river and creeks. Home. I let the windows down and turned up the radio. Whoop de Doo…Mark Knopflers tale of lost love and denial flooded into my ears and heart along with the fresh April air. Despite this beautiful moment I could help but notice the feeling of dread creeping up on me. It’s been coming and going and lately it’s been staying longer than it’s supposed to.
I spent the morning with the family catching up with mom and dad and kicking a rugby ball with my nephews, taking in their laughter and freckle faced smiles. I also took a walk though the herd checking on the cows and writing down the numbers of the bulls that I needed to sell, the cows that I’ll have to keep an eye on this coming winter and the state of the grazing camps. Farming with livestock means farming with grass and therefore careful management is absolutely essential for sustainable and responsible farming operations. I aim to live and farm in harmony with nature and raise healthy, happy animals in an environment that will provide a livelihood to the generations that will follow in my footsteps.
I then made my way to the Potchefstroom airfield where I assisted my friend, fellow songwriter and flight school owner to safely brief and strap in people for familiarisation flights. There was a birthday party going on at the foot of the old Air Traffic Control Tower that now serves as an office and recording studio and we were invited for some drinks and a bite to eat by friendly folks around braai fires, once the aircraft was covered and tied down of course!
Then, as the African Sunset fell through the windows of the control tower we exchanged songs and told stories to sunburnt, smiling friends and acquaintances and got way down deep in our cups. Magic, music. Jangling guitar strings and voices. Stolen tears and shy smiles. This is what makes it all worthwhile. When one and one equals three. When you share your songs and stories and it becomes more than music and an audience. Then, what you are making, becomes some kind of Love.
JB