Here’s a selection of the music that came to mind while I was writing Come What May. If you’ve read the novel, you will know that music plays a major part throughout the book. When the story opens, radio, moreso than today, was a source of music, entertainment and news, for television did not exist. On Saturday nights people of all ages went to dances in the city and country, up and down the country, and in most countries around the world.

In Queensland, where I grew up, my paternal grandmother and father played at these dances; my grandma playing the piano and my father accompanying her on the piano accordion. My parents actually met at a country dance. So in part I wanted to capture the mood and spirit of these times and the magic of Auld Lang Syne, which was a part of my childhood; the last song sung at weddings, birthday parties and anniversary celebrations. Everyone would stand in a large circle, hold hands and then rush into the centre of the circle when it came round to singing the chorus. A wonderful, sadly dying, tradition.

In Come What May, both Gene and Sonny are gifted singers and their favourite songs made it on to this reel as well. Most of the songs from the 70s come from my teenage years but I know they would have loved them too! 🙂