That subject line may remind you of your Uncle Verol’s sense of humor, god bless him, but he’s not here and I’m not joking. There really was an author, a band, and a witch. Here’s the story of this surprising collaborative project.
It’s about an album—a collaboration between an author of comic fantasy novels (Terry Pratchett), a folk-rock band (Steeleye Span), and one of the characters in the author’s books—a young witch-in-training—one Tiffany Aching.
Best known for having written 41 wildly inventive comic fantasy novels set in his own Discworld, Terry Pratchett had (and still has) an amazingly loyal fanbase. It’s more like a giant international cult following, and I’m a card-carrying member.
Author Terry Pratchett, photo by Alastair Levy
As for the band, Steeleye Span has been around—I kid you not—since 1969. A pioneer in the genre of folk-rock, Steeleye offers “electric folk” re-imaginings of traditional English music—as well as the band members’ originals. Like Terry Pratchett, the band has been prolific (21 albums) and has a large and loyal following, especially in the UK.
Years ago the band was hired to play Terry’s 60th birthday party (he was a fan) and it was at that event that the possibility of a collaboration was first broached.
As the band’s former violinist and vocalist Peter Knight explained (in a podcast interview for Nakedly Examined Music), the whole thing came about from his wife saying . . .
“‘When you play at Terry Pratchett’s birthday party, why don’t you ask him if he would be interested in some sort of collaboration?’ So, we played at Terry’s party, and we went for a walk down by the river on Terry Pratchett’s land. I just said to him . . . have you ever considered a collaboration with Steeleye?
And he said, ‘I thought you’d never ask!’ . . . He then went and got the books related to a young developing witch called Tiffany Aching, and that’s how the project started.”
Pro tip: For any collaborative project to happen, someone has to first pop the question (after a spouse suggests a great idea).
Once it was agreed on, each band member went off to write three songs apiece for the album. The project seemed a perfect fit in that a tale that included ancient rituals and secret folk dances was right up the alley for Steeleye Span.
Though the resulting album Wintersmith (released in 2013, above) takes its name from the third book in the Tiffany Aching series, the album’s songs at times reference events from the other Tiffany Aching books as well. (This is great for hard core fans who can track all the allusions and references).
But you don’t need to know the books or the album to appreciate the challenge that band member Peter Knight set for himself in writing one of the songs. It was this: he realized he didn’t want to focus on any of the plot points or to allude to any other characters in the books. He only knew he didn’t want to write a song that would illustrate what already existed.
When adapting work from another art form, how do you find your entry point to create something new that can stand on its own?
How do you find new possibilities in a work that is complete in and of itself? How do you get past the reverence you have for the original so you can create that third thing—something unexpected that none of the collaborators ever considered?
In this case, it was Tiffany herself who provided the answers.
In considering how a character in a book is at the mercy of her creator, Peter found himself imagining what Tiffany’s life was like, being saddled so early with her formidable powers and responsibilities. And he wondered what it is she might actually want now.
You know you’ve made it as a witch when you’ve got your own stamp
In Terry’s novels, Tiffany is first introduced as a wunderkind apprentice witch, age nine. Her early working life effectively ended her childhood. In Terry’s Discworld universe, beyond battling evil, witches work round the clock serving as their community’s midwife, doctor, caregiver, counselor, and death doula.
I know, that doesn’t sound much like a fun read, but these ARE comic novels—they are full of surprises, delight, and satire. Just as in life, though, there’s more than the laughter to contend with.
What does this witch want? (And how does this reflect what we all want?)
The song that Peter Knight wrote is called “We Shall Wear Midnight” (playing off the title of the 4th Tiffany Aching novel). At this point, Tiffany is a teenager. The song is her plea to her creator, Terry Pratchett. In it, she laments the fate she’s been given and, quietly railing against it, tries to seduce Terry into setting her free from her plot line.
Tiffany Aching as a teenager by artist Paul Kidby
To that end, Tiffany suggests a series of alternative scenes, “Why don’t you write me . . .” as she’s looking to break free from the inevitability of the story she’s caught in.
I can’t help wondering what Terry thought of Tiffany’s lament, and of her slipping out of his books to get her message to him in a song. In any case, he did write one last Tiffany Aching novel after the album came out.
Perhaps it was Terry’s response to his character’s plea.
In that final novel, Tiffany has reached her late teens and (*spoiler alert) seems to have reconciled herself with the full breadth of her powers and the hard life she’s living. The book was, in fact, the last Discworld novel Terry ever completed—Shepherd’s Crown was published after his death in 2015. He died from early onset dementia, at age 66.
He is sorely missed.
And he, along with his collaborators, Tiffany and Peter, have left us to consider for ourselves:
What’s the song you’d sing to the author of your life’s circumstances?
How would you try to influence your creator to change your fate and rework your ending?
And of the story you are living out, how much of it is of your own making?
Have a listen and read the lyrics . . .
You made me older than my years
I am young and barely grown
And when I cry, I cry your tears
For I have no life of my own
Why don’t you write me some candlelight
And wear your heart of gold?
And I will wear these Aching, heartbreaking years
‘Til one day I shall wear midnight
And if you should scream from your darkest dream
In a whisper you’ll hear me call
And for a while I’ll be sweet sixteen
And I’ll have no power at all
Why don’t you write me a moonlit night
And wear your finest hour?
And I will wear these Aching, heartbreaking years
‘Til one day I shall wear midnight
I am young, you are old
But you’re not heartless and cold
I am warm from the love that you’ve shown
But you conjured me up
From your hat full of dreams
And you keep me in a world of your own
Why don’t you write me a guiding light
And wear your heart’s desire?
And I will wear these Aching, heartbreaking years
‘Til one day I shall wear midnight
And when you lay down on your final word
It will be no comfort to me
I have lived by the pen and I’ll die by the sword
When it’s time to set me free
Why don’t you write me a gallant knight
And wear your honour and sword?
And I will wear these Aching, heartbreaking years,
‘Til one day I shall wear midnight
‘Til one day I shall wear midnight
‘Til one day we shall wear midnight.
We’re all getting there, one way or another—
Here’s to making the most of the story we’ve been written into,
Dream Big, Plan Smart, Live Well
PS: Find info on coaching with me HERE.
