Friday 26 October 2012

Even as I write, the mixed master of Far and Forgot is winging it's way into the very capable hands of Master Martin Russell, whom I sure you will all recall with great fondness. As soon as I receive the mastered master (!) back from Martin I shall send across to be pressed or cut or whatever the correct term for turning the master into a thousand playable-on-your-cd-players-at-home cds is. After that process is over, I will pop the appropriate number of cd's into their correctly addressed jiffy bags and you, esteemed listener, should shortly receive a shiny new copy of Far and Forgot, From The Lost Lands by Me, Francis Lickerish.
So there you go.
As I recall, I was giving you my take on the underlying resonance of Far and Forgot. I think I had more or less covered Brides of the Wind except for one quite important thematic item. After the opening horn call, you will here a short brass chorale. Notice, dear listener if you will, that the last chord of this brass chorale is both major and minor at the same time, that is to say it has both major and minor thirds sounding at the same moment in time. This is a clue as to the underlying tone of the whole album. Throughout and in every song there is an interplay 'twixt and between major and minor with the express intention of creating a sense of doubt and equivocation. Whether or not this device succeeds I leave up to your delicate judgement. It is especially pertinent in the final piece, The Faerie's Funeral as you shall see.
After Brides of the Wind comes The Shining Hour. A straight forward second movement minuet aimed at clearing the air and lightening the atmosphere. It's a kind of operatic duet between Hils and Jenny Russell that re-tells the age old Tam Lynn story with a bit of a twist. Here's the lyric.


The Shining Hour

When the light fades in the forest from a blue and breezy afternoon
When the shadows fly along the hills beneath a slip of a new moon
When the white owl sweeps the lowering dusk along the mirrored  river's glide 
Ah, it's now forgetful grow the valleys and the Elfin court does ride.

Where was he taken? 
I can't tell you.
By the mill bridge last I saw him in the dusk.
Dark eyed Queen of Elfin
Caught him in the twilight, in the Shining Hour  
Took him in the Shining Hour.
Now his eyes are strange
Yes and his cheeks are cold
As cold as the cold sea-shells
Strange and secret he grows 
Fell as a shadow he
Wills his own forgetting  hidden among the enchanted  hills.  

This night it is May Eve when the Elfin court will ride
And if you would your true love win back by the mill bridge you must hide.

And then First will run the black horse
 And then after her will run the grey  
Hold the white horse fast and fear not
You hold him fast till near day.

Dark grows the world
And the white star hovers low in the West
Now as evening  dews the flowers
With soft delighted showers
That fill the Shining Hours

Heartless she is 
As a frost upon a  May morning
All the Earth to her is young
Unkindness yet begun
All sad songs still unsung.  

In the dead hours after midnight she heard the horses bridles ring
And that fey sound and unchancy chilled her heart like no good or earthly thing
From the hollow and enchanted hills there rode out elf on elfin steed
And the new moon faded fearful and the stars grew dim with dread


This night being  May Eve by the mill bridge she did bide 
As she waits to glimpse her true love as the Elfin court does ride

And then first run by the black horse 
And then after her did run the grey And then raced by the white horse She held him fast till near day She held him fast and feared him not
A-Crying my love I have won you.

The thunder rolled out across the sky and the stars they blazed as bright as day
And a cry came from the Elfin Queen " My young captive He's away"  
"My young captive he's away" she cried out in her anger and her pain 
"And alas tmy Young Lord he is lost and gone, and will never ever come again"


Where was he taken taken?
He won't tell you
She whom he loves is hard to catch and conquer
Dark eyed Queen of Elfin
Caught him in the twilight, in the Shining Hour  
Took him in the Shining Hour.
Is his heart still true?
Yes it is very true
To the fey queen in the hills.
By his return he was 
Dealt an unkindness
And now he waits by the mill  bridge till the Elfin court shall ride again. 

So that's The Shining Hour.

Then comes a sort of a scherzo called The Man Who Sold Magic. This is an instrumental portrait of an alchemist. Count St Germain, perhaps, or Fulcanelli. Think C19th, Vienna, Alps and a mystical midnight forest interlude. 

And then we have Seeds of the Sun. A lament. Not much more to be said about that.

The Disenchanting. This requires a whole blog unto itself and so I shall, dear reader, bid you adieu until such times as the internet weaves our lives together once again.

Light, Love and Life.

Fxxx







1 comment:

  1. Thanks for the update. I'm enjoying the insight into the songs.

    ReplyDelete