Bread and Roses

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Bread and Roses

I never thought of myself as the union type, but that’s all changed in the past few years. Despite vowing that I wouldn’t turn Urban Flute into an overtly political platform, I guess the story will gradually emerge as to how I have ended up emulating The Coalminer’s Daughter!

And being a card-carrying member of Ontario Secondary School Teachers Association (OSSTF/FEESO) kinda makes sense considering that I have always rooted for the underdog, and my style of hockey when I scrimmage, analogously speaking, is at times scrappy and very much team oriented.

So, if it’s a little quiet on the Urban Flute front the past couple of days, that would be due to the fact that I’m having a bit of a holiday-in-town this weekend attending the annual AMPA conference with over 800 delegates congregated from across Ontario. Its a great way to kick off the March Break, and what a great group of people to be affiliated with – suffice to say that I’m enjoying my second AMPA and its great to reconnect with teachers and colleagues from across the province.

Upon registration and as I dumped my bags in the hotel room  my eye fell upon the lyrics and music for Bread and Roses in my OSSTF swag bag. This is the perennial union rally song dates from approx 1912, and I happened to have just performed it with Sara Marlowe earlier in the week at the Tranzac as a fundraiser for the Toronto Women’s Bookstore on International Womens’ Day.

So what better tune to play as I checked out this view of Toronto’s new City Hall from the seventh floor of the Sheraton? In fact maybe this post should be called 7th Heaven!? It’s amazing to consider that OSSTF/FEESO was established around the time that Bread and Roses was written, over 90 years ago.

For those who know this song of solidarity, it may seem somewhat odd at the beginning as I play Shakuhachi-style (without the headjoint of the flute) to set an evocative, even eerie tone for this stirring anthem and urban scene. Below is the original poem that Bread and Roses is based upon:

As we come marching, marching in the beauty of the day,

A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill lofts gray,

Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses,

For the people hear us singing: “Bread and roses! Bread and roses!”

As we come marching, marching, we battle too for men,

For they are women’s children, and we mother them again.

Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes;

Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses!

As we come marching, marching, unnumbered women dead

Go crying through our singing their ancient cry for bread.

Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew.

Yes, it is bread we fight for — but we fight for roses, too!

As we come marching, marching, we bring the greater days.

The rising of the women means the rising of the race.

No more the drudge and idler — ten that toil where one reposes,

But a sharing of life’s glories: Bread and roses! Bread and roses!

James Oppenheim