Northumberland folk singer inspired to write Sycamore Gap lament year after tree felling

Listen to Kathryn Tickell performing her lament.

A local folk singer has talked about how people's stories of the Sycamore Gap tree inspired her to write a lament following its felling.

Kathryn Tickell from Northumberland wrote the piece of music to mark a year since the iconic tree was chopped down.

She said the idea was spurred by "all the stories people have told me", including a friend who proposed to his girlfriend under the tree in the hope they could take their future children there for picnics.

She added: "All of these stories were going through my mind as I was working with the tune and I think perhaps they've come out a little bit."

A lament is a traditional way of writing about grief through music, song or poetry.

Describing the mood she wanted to convey, Kathryn said the song is "sad" with "some anger in there" and "hope for the future" at the end.

Recalling the moment she heard the news about the trees felling, Kathryn said: "It was just so unbelievable really; that feeling of 'this can't be happening'.

"'That amazing, beautiful tree. That fantastic image in those hills. That can't be gone'."

Discussing the creative process of writing the lament, she explained she originally started with two separate pieces of music.

She said: "I started off writing two different tunes and I thought 'I'll see which one wants to be written', and it was, without a doubt, the lament."

Kathryn added: "There were all sorts of things it [the lament] wanted to have. The drones on the pipe - it wanted to have a different drone that I don't usually use, something in that deep sound.

"It wanted to start with low notes. I don't know, it had a lot of things where the tune was telling me what to do. I had such a strong picture in my mind of the tree."

Kathryn is not the only person to be moved by the chopping down of the tree along Hadrian's Wall, with the news sparking global attention.

Thousands of people used to visit the site each year.

Saplings from the felled tree are also being sent to different sites across the UK.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...