As a child she was always singing. Edale, in Derbyshire, was the ideal place to nurture this natural ability, with an abundance of communal song. Having played the fiddle a small amount at school, Bella attended a Folkworks Youth Summer School in Durham age 13. Motivated by the number of young people playing folk music, she was inspired to begin working on folk fiddle. She also met many of her great friends and musical companions.
Some of these new friends arranged to meet up again, and on New Year's Day a year later The Pack was formed. Initially The Pack was a way for this group of people to get free tickets to festivals. The spirited performances and complex arrangements of the 12 piece band proved a resounding success, and they went on to play many of the scene's greatest stages, including Cambridge Folk Festival main stage in 2003. In 2002, the only Pack album 12 Little Devils was released, with fRoots calling it "... a genuine feel good album. Get yours now!".
Hardy released her debut solo album Night Visiting in 2007, to critical acclaim. Mojo gave her a 4* 'Brilliant' rating, fRoots wrote "Bella Hardy is more than a new generation folk revivalist... Her potential is massive", and Taplas Magazine noted "...her debut CD solo album is a piece of wondrous beauty and inventive incisiveness". In 2008 she was nominated for the Horizon Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. She was also nominated for Best Original Song the same year with Three Black Feathers, which Jim Moray went on to record on his 2008 album Low Culture.
Hardy released her second solo album In The Shadow of Mountains in 2009 at the Cambridge Folk Festival. Again it gained critical acclaim. English Dance and Song Magazine wrote "It's astounding and somewhat daunting to realise this is only Bella's second album... Surely no-one has any right to be writing songs with the sophistication of 'Sylvie Sovay', so early in their career..."
Searching for lambs
Bella Hardy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I met a maid from home had strayed, just as the sun did shine
“What makes you rise so soon my dear, your journey to pursue?
Your pretty little feet they tread so sweet, strike off the morning dew”
“I’m going to feed my father’s flock, his young and tender lambs
That over hills and over dales lay waiting for their dams”
“O stay, o stay you handsome maid and rest a moment here
For there is none but you alone that I do love so dear”
“How gloriously the sun doth shine, how pleasant is the air
I’d rather rest in a true love’s breast than any other where”
“For I am thine and thou art mine, no man shall uncomfort thee
We’ll join our hands in wedded bands and married we shall be”
The song "Searching for Lambs" by Bella Hardy speaks of a chance meeting between a man and a maid on a beautiful May morning. The maid reveals that she is out early to tend to her father's flock of young and tender lambs that are waiting for their dams over hills and dales. The man requests her to stay with him and rest for a while as he loves her dearly, but the maid explains how she would rather rest in her true love's breast than any other place. Eventually, they confess their love for each other and decide to get married by joining their hands in wedded bands.
The song's lyrics depict the beauty of nature and how it affects a romantic relationship between two people. The "pretty little feet treading sweet" and the "morning dew" add to the imagery of the beautiful setting. The lyrics of the song hint towards the timeless motif of the search for love and love's ability to provide comfort in a world full of turmoil. In addition, the father and his flock of lambs represent a responsibility towards family and a strong sense of duty, while the phrase "searching for lambs" could also signify a search for innocence and youth.
Line by Line Meaning
As I roved out one May morning, one May morning be time
One May morning, the singer went for a stroll.
I met a maid from home had strayed, just as the sun did shine
The singer met a girl who wandered away from home.
“What makes you rise so soon my dear, your journey to pursue?
The singer asked the girl why she woke up early.
Your pretty little feet they tread so sweet, strike off the morning dew”
The singer remarked how gracefully the girl walked.
“I’m going to feed my father’s flock, his young and tender lambs
The girl explained that she was going to feed her father's flock of lambs.
That over hills and over dales lay waiting for their dams”
She added that the lambs were waiting for their mothers to come and feed them.
“O stay, o stay you handsome maid and rest a moment here
The singer asked the girl to stay and rest for a while.
For there is none but you alone that I do love so dear”
The singer confessed his love for the girl.
“How gloriously the sun doth shine, how pleasant is the air
The singer remarked how beautiful the weather was.
I’d rather rest in a true love’s breast than any other where”
The girl would rather be in the arms of someone she loves.
“For I am thine and thou art mine, no man shall uncomfort thee
The singer pledged his love and promised to take care of the girl.
We’ll join our hands in wedded bands and married we shall be”
The singer proposed to the girl and promised to marry her.
Contributed by Liliana F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@strangedean
Beautiful song