Claire’s powerful ballad hits the right note

A POWERFUL ballad penned by Bantry singer Claire Hayden has perfectly captured the spirit of the West Cork community amid the Covid-19 crisis.

Claire told The Southern Star she was inspired to write the song “Stand Together” after watching the news. She said: ‘I felt for the mothers, the fathers, and the grandparents, and was compelled to write a song that would bring people together so they’d feel less alone.’

Claire – an SNA at Coomhola National School – confirmed that researchers with The Late Late Show have also expressed an interest in featuring it.

Claire, who describes herself as a ‘part-time singer/songwriter’, previously penned songs that were used to fundraise for Bantry Hospice and BUMBLEance, the children’s ambulance service.

Those songs gained her a solid fan base locally, but Claire said: ‘It’s been a while since I have written anything, so it’s encouraging that “Stand Together” has got more than 35,000 views and that so many people have been in touch to say they liked it.’

The chorus is: ‘We must stand yet apart for now; Brighter days I know that we will see; We must stand together yet apart for now; While we bring our great country back to its feet’.

Claire said lots of people told her that the song has moved them to tears. ‘The lyrics have hit home with them. They could relate to it. And, although it is sad in parts, the overall message is one of hope.’

Claire said she recorded the song in her bedroom using her mobile phone and that her two children Cian (11) and Michael (8) were warned to stay out of the room and to keep quiet.

Her husband, Steven, was the first person to hear the finished track and he loves it as much as everyone else.