Hey Jude

Here's a version of The Beatles' Hey Jude in Jèrriais. But it's not really a translation of the original English lyrics: it's more a version roughly based on the Czech lyrics by ZdeněkRytíř made famous in the performance by Marta Kubišová

Marta Kubišová's cover version is associated with the aftermath of the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 to put down the reformist Prague Spring. Hey Jude, the original, was released in 1968 and Marta Kubišová's version was released in 1969 before the hardline clampdown had been put into full effect - and Marta Kubišová's singing career was prevented until the Velvet Revolution of 1989. (More about Marta and her life and politics here)

Although the film version of Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Beingused Marta Kubišová's Hey Jude as backing of images of the 1968invasion, it was in fact a different Marta Kubišová song that had been an anthem of resistance at that time. Nevertheless, the Czech lyrics for Hey Jude written against the background of repression can be read as veiled commentary on contemporary events.

Chant d'Jèrri - Island Song

Here's a bit of background to Chant d'Jèrri / Island Song - a song I co-wrote (along with some videos and audio)

This song was written in 2007 as a potential national anthem for Jersey in response to a competition launched to find a new anthem (it wasn't shortlisted). The words were written in Jèrriais and English by Geraint Jennings (1966- ) and the music is by Daniel Bourdelès, a composer of songs in the Norman language from mainland Normandy.

The words take their inspiration from the idea that the sounds of nature are like the sounds of our language which can be heard all over Jersey, from the farthest corners of our territory.

As a song written after the Occupation of Jersey 1940-1945 it includes the words libèrté, liberty, libéthé (liberated) and freedom. This recalls the experience of Liberation on 9th May 1945, as celebrated every year on Liberation Day, Jersey's national day. As an anthem it would be expected to be sung on Liberation Day, so the identification of the freedom of nature and open space was

Since the brief for the anthem competition was to take into consideration Jersey's national symbols, and taking as a starting point that the anthem would be written first in Jèrriais, the concept was that the language was identified with nature - that place and language were one, and that the imagery would be of the Island's name "Jèrri" being heard in the natural sounds surrounding us, and of the Island's territory itself speaking the name in Jèrriais. So "Jèrri" can sound like a whispering wind or a murmuring wave and, in the movement of air and water, the language covers the extent of the Bailiwick. The anthem recalls the extent of our territory (and in the Jèrriais version right out to our outlying reefs) and includes all parts of Jersey and aims at being open, expansive and inclusive.

The idea of nature and landscape being essential to identity was informed by the Czech national anthem, which is a very beautiful evocation of homeland and belonging.

Although Man Bieau P'tit Jèrri is a much-loved anthem, it speaks of a particular status: male, Jersey-born and abroad. Chant d'Jèrri, on the other hand, aspires to be accessible and identifiable to all, calling everyone to be part of the two strands of freedom and belonging.


Performances by Badlabecques:

Visite Royale

  

Yesterday we had a Visite Royale in Saint Helier. This visit of inspection by the Royal Court comes round every 6 years (the Court visits 2 Parishes a year). The Assembly Room was laid out to allow the Court to sit in session with the Bailiff and Jurats (along with the Greffier, HM Solicitor-General and other officials) facing the Parish officials. HE the Lieutenant-Governor also attended as an observer.

After the prayers and formalities, the Connétable presented his report on the Parish accounts, and mentioned certain matters the Parish is planning for the future (including municipal modernisation, for which he gave me credit - or blame). The Bailiff then asked a number of questions on the accounts, which were answered with the help of the Director of Finance.

The Roads Inspectors were called up and quizzed on what they had been doing in the course of the inspection of roads (since the answer is in effect not very much as the elected office serves almost no practical purpose nowadays, there was some tactful generalisation).

The Chef de Police gave a rundown of the activites of the Honorary Police with plenty of facts and figures, and was questioned by the Court.

The nominated Voyeurs were called up and sworn in. I'm very pleased that we had a balanced panel of 6 women and 6 men, as I had proposed this.

After the Court adjourned, disrobed and returned for a teabreak, it was time to board the minibuses (the Court travelled in limousines) and off we went to look at some problems the Parish hoped the Court could solve by some alfresco instant judgment.

In theory the Voyeurs are supposed to get together once sworn in and then take the Court to inspect some roads on a route that:
a) must not go outside the Parish boundaries, and
b) must not double back on itself (i.e. go over the same road twice)

However the Parish and the Court agree a route in advance and the Parish provides the relevant information so that everything should go smoothly.

With the police escort the convoy of black limousines and minibuses and other vehicles rather gave the impression of a grand funeral cortège.

The first stop was at the top of Queen's Road at the junction of Saint John's Road where the spokesman of the Voyeurs explained that the Parish was requesting the Court to vest ownership in a chemin public of unknown ownership in the Parish. The Court agreed that it appeared that the Parish, having maintained the path, probably owned it but to safeguard the interests of anyone who might come forward with a claim, the Parish was to post a notice asking anyone to come forward and if no-one comes forward in the course of 6 months then the Court would be satisfied that the Parish had taken reasonable steps to establish undisputed ownership.

The remaining questions were regarding trees causing problems with roads and whether the Court would order that the trees be cut down. The first tree was measured and condemned. The official axe was used to give it some symbolic chops to mark it. The rest of the trees benefited from some judicial lenience.

So the Parish got half of the judgments in its favour, and although the other trees were not condemned on the spot, the Court ruled in ways that were actually quite useful to the Parish. All in all, a good day - and the weather was excellent.