Rough Music:
Beating pots and pans,
Making a public din (rather
than a private dinner),
than a private dinner),
Ringing bells, rattling
bones, blowing horns,
bones, blowing horns,
With domestic utensils
utilised in public,
utilised in public,
Expressing a note of
disapprobation
disapprobation
Through a cacophony of
disharmony –
disharmony –
It’s PANDEMONIUM.
A symbolic representation
of social discord,
of social discord,
Marking a transgression
of agreed social norms,
of agreed social norms,
The wrong-doer often
shown in effigy,
shown in effigy,
With a pantomimic
declamation of their crimes,
declamation of their crimes,
Sometimes riding the
skimmington,
skimmington,
As in The Mayor of Casterbridge,
Or the 1825 Stroudwater
Weavers’ Riots,
Weavers’ Riots,
And nineteenth century
Rodborough –
Rodborough –
A tradition revived with
the reviling
the reviling
Of George Osborne and his
July budget,
July budget,
A budget that will be
responsible
responsible
For far more domestic
disharmony,
disharmony,
And transgression of
agreed social norms,
agreed social norms,
Than could ever be marked
By all the Rough Music
Ever played in ‘Merrie
Englande’.
Englande’.