David Heavenor: Music

Written for Juris Greene who left his home country of Latvia for Scotland when the Soviet Union annexed the Baltic States. He worked in Edinburgh for many years as a lawyer and when I met him he had retired and had lost his sight but introduced me to Latvian Folklore and gave me a strong sense of a country I had known nothing about. The song was inspired soon after Latvia regained its independence since following his death I realised he had never seen his homeland regain its freedom.
Another song about Edinburgh and the Grange area in particular.

LATVIAN LANTERN NIGHTS


While you grew up behind closed doors
A red star spread its stain across your floor
The town clock cracked, you caught your breath
The cobbled streets were jammed with noise and death
In sight of blade and belching gun
You fled your house, your land left in a ruin


Lament your sky
Lament your home
My dear Juris, I've always known the cost
Of you lying out here in the frost


With heart still warm in Riga's chill
You made your life in this ragged citadel
Its cobbled stones scuffed up your shoes
The Scottish haar swirled down your office flue
And when dark scales closed down your sight
You dreamed in lore amid the Latvian lantern nights



There you were standing by the railings
Standing by the railings
Blind eyes smiled at me
And now a death has made me see


Now salt-flecked breezes rot your stone
The Northern sun's dark cloak lies on the ground
So Juris, come, rise from your grave
You have a sight to see, a flag to wave
And when we meet in my dream's store
You'll walk me through the portals of an open door.