On Mondays we run a group called 'Conversation Cafe' where residents who are wanting to practice English language learning come together.
In the past we were very lucky to have members of the Syrian National Orchestra among our group and they played for us in the library.
Masters of Syria, members of the Syrian Orchestra paid us a visit yesterday and gave library staff and customers an impromptu performance. What a fantastic end to our Christmas fayre. #Christmas
Posted by Barnsley Libraries on Saturday, 17 December 2016
This year we decided to celebrate Refugee Week 2018 Refugee Week by creating a new piece of music with the members of our Conversation Cafe. We asked them to write down some impressions they had of England before they arrived, something about the difficult journey they had to get to England and what they thought of Barnsley and the UK since their arrival. We then combined their words into some lyrics, to go with a music track by David, a musician member of our staff team. Here are their words:
You Don't Know What I've Been Through To Get To Sing This Song to You
I dreamed of England from age 6 or 7, I imagined cities of skyscraper heaven.
The English people would be refined just like the queen
And I might play football for Man United-the famous football team.
The journey from my country went over land and sea
At times it was quite scary, hit me hard emotionally.
The language I thought I knew, sounds nothing like my teacher told,
I'll still be trying to understand their tongue, when I am grey and old.
The fish and chips and Yorkshire puds are strange but not too bad,
They welcome us with 'You All Reight?' and call us 'lass' or 'lad'.
The weather is so cold though here, you need a hat and gloves,
But you'll feel warmed by friendly folk and lots of laugh and 'luvs'.
I look now to my future, to all the possibilities,
For England is a land of many opportunities.
To get a job, to learn to drive, are dreams of mine for sure.
And Barnsley is now my 'Tarn' too, the Yorkshire homesick cure.
Needless to say they were nervous about recording their voices and about singing into a microphone, but David managed to put them at their ease and include a bit of vocal talent from anyone who was willing and created it into this track.