I have been a fan of this wonderful vocal group since I first saw them perform at a festival some decades ago, and it is no surprise whatsoever to realise that this year is their 30th anniversary. Led by the wonderful Katharine Blake, who also writes all the material, this is a group who have constantly refused to conform to any modern trends and instead continue to perform transcendent beautiful music which takes us not only back in time but also to a place which exists only in literature and our imaginations. Strangely enough, one of their biggest champions and advocates is Iggy Pop, who comes from a very different musical background indeed.
The Mediaeval Baebes are Katharine Blake, Fiona Fey, Marie Findley, Sophia Halberstam, Maya McCourt and Josephine Ravenheart, the same line-up as last time, but what makes this so powerful is not only the wonderful harmony choral vocals but also the instrumentation which provides the perfect accompaniment, so it is only right to call these out as well. Katharine Blake (sopranino, descant, treble, great bass and subbass recorders, violin, tambourin à cordes, harp, percussion), Charlie Cawood(acoustic guitar, daruan, cittern, lute, oud, baglama saz, guzheng, taishōgoto, lyre, zither, glockenspiel – Charlie has long been a fan of mastering unusual instruments, as anyone who has followed his career can attest to), Michael J York (bagpipes, lyre, harp, tambourin à cordes, double bass, percussion, tanpura, analogue synth, field recordings), Ben Woollacott (drums, percussion), Maya McCourt (cello), Jenny Bliss Bennet (violin, viola da gamba), Joe Hoare (classical guitar, electric guitar), James Larcombe (hurdy-gurdy), Robin Blick (piccolo trumpet, French horn), Nicole Frobusch (gong), Rosa Marsh (bells) and three guest singers in Clare Edmondson, Rosa Marsh and Marcella Puppini. Even before playing the album one can see this is an unusual album in many ways, yet each component is hugely important in the overall tapestry of sound.
The concept of this album came after Katharine attended Le Son Continu folk festival in France, after which she decided the next release would contain 12 songs, a song for each month of the year, with each month representing a goddess to be worshipped, forming an overarching gnostic vision. The words are hugely important, and I always enjoy reading the lyrics as I come across names and concepts which are new to me, while hearing them sing “February” in Old English is a delight. It has been way too long since 2022’s ‘MydWynter’, but I am so glad to yet again hear new material as listening to this album on headphones allows me to be transported in time and place as no longer am I in New Zealand in the 21st Century, but somehow I am back in the UK, walking into a glade surrounded by a forest and the last few hundred years have just fallen away. Emotionally I feel relaxed and calm, transfixed by the voices, which are very English even when the accompaniment may be a picked Chinese instrument. It is layer upon layer, thread upon thread, yet space is always a constant and we never feel overawed or smothered but instead are wrapped in beauty. There really is no other group quite like Mediaeval Baebes, and if you have yet to discover them for yourself then you really need to do so without delay as their music is a balm to the heart and soul.
Rating: 10/10
Links:
https://www.mediaevalbaebes.com/
http://www.bellissimarecords.com/