David Haxell
Dave is Hertford’s legendary Lodge Manager and keeper of the college’s secrets. Before joining Hertford he had a long career in the military, serving in both the seas and the skies.
Click the titles below to read Dave’s comments. Listen to his tracks in the YouTube playlist – to select a different song click the three horizontal lines in the top right of the video.
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Magna Carta – Time for the Leaving
The ultimate “it’s time to leave home” song. It reminds me of my youth leaving my home town to travel the world at 16 years old. Written in the early 1970’s so get out the flares, Afghan coat and the patchouli oil.
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The MonaLisa Twins – God Only Knows
From Austria these girls do acoustic covers of 1960s hits. This was originally done by The Beach Boys. This well crafted cover with sublime vocals just makes me want to sing along.
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June Tabor – 10,000 Miles
A soulful rendition of the classic folk song, a song of sorrow , longing and detachment. Listen how the double bass punctuates. Best listened to in a reflect mood.
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Kate Rusby – Life in a Paper Boat
Barnsley’s favourite daughter is moved to write about the plight of refuges and their fragile world. The spiky guitar work is awesome.
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Natalie Merchant – Carnival
American Natalie (formerly of the punk band 10,000 Manaics) does a superb observation of living in city with all its dysfunction and strangeness. Yet colour and energy exists. Life is a carnival.
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Show of Hands – The Blue Cockade
Another wonderful folk song about enlisting to fight in a war whilst not really thinking of the world your leaving behind. Dates from the Napoleonic war.
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The Waterboys – The Stolen Child
The Irish poet William Butler Yeats ballad poem set to music by The Waterboys. Come away human child from the water.
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Sandy Denny – Who Knows Where the Time Goes
Ah the “ Angel of Avalon”. This to my mind is one of the greatest songs ever written (bold statement, I know). It reminds me of revising for my O Levels stuck in a freezing cold bedroom, trying to get to grips with trigonometry and describing the digestion of a ham sandwich (not for the same exam you’ll be pleased to know). I have requested this to be played at my funeral. And on that cheery note…
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Book
As I have spent a great deal of my life travelling the world, my book would be a quality world atlas. I have always be fascinated by maps and can spend hours poring over them whilst consuming quantities of real ale.
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Luxury item
My luxury item would be a Spotify account on a device that I could listen to music on. Life is always better if you can listen to music.
