This year found Katharine Blake living in Glastonbury, an incredibly spiritual place which has an incredible history (and will always be important to me, as it is where I took my wife on our first ever date well over 30 years ago). While there she composed plainsong settings for classic Latin prayers, making this the first ever Mediæval Bæbes album comprised totally of originals. She worked closely with the two multi-instrumentalists, Michael J York (The Utopia Strong, Coil, Teleplasmiste) and Charlie Cawood (Lost Crowns, Knifeworld, Anathema) to create a musical backdrop against which the vocals could shine. If it wasn’t for sacred music and choir I would not be here, as my father met my mother at the choir where she was accompanist, which had been formed and directed by my grandfather, so it is safe to say this is a style of music I literally grew up with. My mother was a trained soprano, and I really can imagine her sitting and listening intently to this album.
One knows with any Mediæval Bæbes release that the singing is going to be quite extraordinary and wonderfully arranged, yet here one of the real delights is the way the music provides quite a different backdrop. Katharine provides violin, recorders, percussion and glockenspiel, while other musicians are Robin Blick (French horn), Catherine Gerbrands (musical saw, bowed glass), Kavus Torabi (Indian harmonium, santoor) and Tim Bowen (cello), but here the two multi-instrumentalists really had their work cut out for them. Take a bow, Charlie Cawood (zither, lyre, gothic lap harp, hammered dulcimer, pipa, daruan, guzheng, oud, bağlama saz, bouzouki) and Michael J York (field recordings, bagpipes, tanpura, duduk, hurdy-gurdy, lyre, zither, church organ, double bass, whistle, hulusi, wine bottles, toy piano, percussion, clock chimes) as somehow they have worked with Katharine to make all these instruments come together in an incredible fashion. They provide the perfect support for everything that is going on, adding nuances and styles in so many places that on really does need to play this on headphones to get the full benefit.
The field recordings were all recorded at special places on St. Michael’s ley line, such as Glastonbury’s legendary Chalice Well, a Beltane dawn chorus within sight of the Tor, and the sound of St. James’ church bells, heard from just outside Avebury’s stone circle. This really does feel like an incredibly spiritual album, and Katharine says, “let this collection of meditative songs conjure for you a lyrical blossom of transcendent beauty – and a sacred space of tranquillity in these uncertain times.” Listening to this album certainly does make feel one at peace with the world, it feels holy, and the reverb and voices sound as if we are listening to this sat inside a wonderful cathedral (on those horribly uncomfortable wooden pews). The voices are lifting up to the roof, bouncing against the ancient stone columns, providing a peace while we look at the stained glass and take the time to sit and contemplate our place in the world.
This is sacred music which is timeless, incredible arrangements with vocals always to the fore. Most of the album was recorded remotely due to the pandemic, although there was one brief moment where they were able to record a live choir, yet it never seems that way as this is simple perfection. The use of field noises and so many different instruments all support the vocals, which are always front and centre, the result being a very special album indeed.
Rating: 10/10
Links:
https://www.mediaevalbaebes.com/
https://bellissimarecords.bandcamp.com/
