A Chopper For Christmas

Andy White captured the feeling with a Zen observation some years ago when he noted that "peace is the sound of no helicopters". I've been thinking about the line in recent nights as the sound of the chopper blades return each night to the Belfast sky, muttering into your

dreams and your daytime consciousness. It nags and depresses, sometimes accessorised by a fire engine or ambulance siren. Clear thought is compromised. The bad old days are hatefully reprised.

I'm thinking also of the Simon & Garfunkel recording of 'Silent Night' from 1966. On one level, it was a chance for those impeccable voices to work together. But there was an additional feature on the mix, the sound of an American news broadcaster, Charlie O' Donnell. He was reading out reports on Civil Rights activities, the escalating war in

Vietnam, the death of Lenny Bruce, a heinous murder trial and Martin

Luther King versus the National Guard.

The particulars have changed, but the dread remains. Neither calm, nor bright.