Welcome to our website!
This month, we begin by remembering the 80th anniversary of the internment of all persons of Japanese ancestry…one of our country’s more shameful episodes near the beginning of World War II.
It began here on the Northwest coast, and I tell the story in my song, “Executive Order 9066”. You can listen to and download it on the link directly above. It is on my recording, Washington Notebook, and is sung by Kat Eggleson, Eric Eshleman and Steve Lalor. You can find the words here on my website, under lyrics.
Below you’ll find our recent video, “A Small Vase of Flowers”, as a response to the bombing of Ukraine. I hope you’ll find a moment to view it, and share it. Creating videos with Scott has become a new passion for us. More are on their way, and we share them on my YouTube channel. The channel has been growing lately, with interviews, archived performances, my songs performed by others and lots more! Here’s the link, and please consider subscribing!
Work continues on the new “Emergence” recording. More work to do, but so many wonderful musicians are contributing their talent…I am in awe! I am so grateful and excited to see how each song grows!
You can make a GoFundMe contribution to Emergence and receive updates on the progress of this project right now.
May we hold to the light, to hope, and to each other in these difficult times on our beloved planet Earth.
Linda
“A Small Vase of Flowers - Video”
Photograph by Jez Timmons on Unsplash
Years ago, I was inspired by a poem to write a song from the perspective of a woman, under the bombs falling on her city. The song seemed particularly relevant today as I mourn the loss of precious homes, hope, security, dreams and lives as Russia invades Ukraine. The toxic masculinity that has ruled our world for too many centuries, elevating power, war, envy, dominance, and hatred must end if we are to survive. Let us restore the balance.
Directly above is a copy of the song “A Small Vase of Flowers” with accompanying images, from my album Long Way Home. If you’d like to download and share the song, please use the link directly below.
May peace prevail.
Linda
A Small Vase of Flowers
A small vase of flowers, the sun through the window Walls of white plaster, a small picture frame Still I can see it - my mind’s eye can see it My harbor, my center, my family, my name
How fragile a thing is a small vase of flowers Walls of white plaster, how quickly they fall Pictures will crumble and burn in a whisper My home and my life can mean nothing at all
High in the heavens a young man was watching His eyes on a target his soul could not see His mind on an enemy - faceless and nameless His hands pushed the trigger - the target was me
I wander the streets of this city I once loved I search through the rubble which once was my home I search for my neighbors, my children, my life But nothing is left, not a stone stands on stone
How fragile a thing is a small vase of flowers How luscious my garden, how sweet was the fruit But the bombs fell like rain ‘til the screams turned to silence And I stand here weeping, a tree without roots
A small vase of flowers, the sun through the window Walls of white plaster, a small picture frame Still I can see it, my mind’s eye can see it My harbor, my center, my family, my name.
©1991 Linda Allen
You can view the short, 3-minute trailer to the “Here’s to the Women” performance above. For more information on booking a showing of this film, please contact me: www.lindasongs.com
Thank you!!! And please share!
Linda Allen
Women’s Suffrage
One-hundred years ago, Suffragists were state by state launching their final campaigns to secure the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. And then the Pandemic struck, active from 1918 through 1920. As today, people were told to wear masks and to stay home. In 1920, Carrie Chapman Catt was still trying to recover from the flu when she made her way to Nashville for the final push in a dramatic battle for passage.
I’m happy to announce that my 53-minute film of “Here’s to the Women” and the trailer (see above) are now complete! It premiered at Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Historical Park on August 23rd, and is now available for individual or group showings.
You are invited to visit our Suffrage Page to find information about the virtual program, explore both traditional and my more recently composed music of Suffrage, books, movies, links and a host of other Suffrage resources. You can also visit our store to see other Suffrage products: jewelry, note cards and more.
Be safe and celebrate our victories. And, as always, may we honor our ancestors by continuing their work for justice.
Linda
“To the wrongs that need resistance, to the right that needs assistance, to the future in the distance, give yourselves”
“Whether tender or strident, lyrical or percussive, her vocal eloquence adds to the power of her lyrics and music
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To listen to tracks and read about each song, click on the image above.
““Allen’s life work uncovers the injustice, focuses on that and brings song to help mend and move through our life cycles. Congrats to Allen on fifty years.”
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“Linda Allen: Hear Her Roar”, Entertainment News Northwest, April 2019. Read the article here.
Back in the late 1970s, when I was newly arrived in Bellingham, I put together a CETA grant to create the Rainy Day Songbook and an accompanying cassette. I worked with the Whatcom Museum, the library, and a host of wonderful musicians, some of whom have now passed on. The Rainy Day Songbook is long out of print, but I recently found the master for the cassette, and Phil Heaven re-mastered it. With copyright considerations, it is not available to download, but you can listen to it all. The Songbook is only available used, but some of the highlights are also online.
I have just loved hearing these voices from out of the past. For a taste of the fun stuff that’s in this collection, click on on the audio track to “Silver Tip” just to the right.
To access all the songs on the album, go to our Washington, My Home link and click the ‘Listen” button.
Have fun!
To listen to an archival of the Rainy Day Band in concert:
The Rainy Day Band
