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..."
The Darkening Of The Day
Bella Hardy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How all my cares and troubles fly away
And though through this weary world we stray
All my cares and troubles fly away
With the darkening of the day
Oh see, with the rising of the sun
How light's an equal gift to everyone
Light's the gift to each and everyone
With the rising of the sun
Oh see, kind words cause the clouds to part
And friendship warms each lonesome broken heart
And though things seem desperate at the start
Friendship warms my lonesome broken
And your kind words cause my darkest clouds to part
Through the shadows and sidelines
In riddles and bad rhymes
There's signs, songs, and smiling hearts called home
So see, with the darkening of the day
How all my cares and troubles fly away
And though through this weary world we stray
All my cares and troubles fly away
With the darkening of the day
The lyrics to Bella Hardy's song "The Darkening of the Day" are brimming with hopefulness and positivity, with a message that reminds us to appreciate the small moments of kindness that can lift us up and ease our troubles. The first stanza speaks to this concept, as the singer notes how all of their cares and troubles seem to dissipate as the day grows darker. This is a beautiful metaphor for the way that the darkness can bring a sense of peace and quiet, allowing us to let go of our worries and simply exist in the moment. The second stanza is similarly uplifting, as the singer notes how the rising of the sun brings light to everyone equally, regardless of status or circumstance. This feels like a reminder to focus on what we have in common, rather than what sets us apart.
The third stanza takes a more direct approach to the theme of kindness and friendship, with the singer noting how kind words can "cause the clouds to part" while friendship warms the heart. This is a lovely sentiment, and a reminder of how much power words can have to lift us up or bring us down. The rest of the song builds on these themes, with references to signs and songs that call us home, and a final reiteration of the opening stanza's message that our cares and troubles can fly away with the darkening of the day.
Overall, this song feels like a celebration of the power of human connection and the moments of grace that can make even the hardest days feel worth it.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh see, with the darkening of the day
With the sunset, all my worries disappear
How all my cares and troubles fly away
My problems seem to vanish as night approaches
And though through this weary world we stray
Even though we wander through a difficult world
All my cares and troubles fly away
My worries fade with the darkness
With the darkening of the day
As the day comes to a close, my troubles seem to disappear
Oh see, with the rising of the sun
With sunrise, light is shared equally by all
How light's an equal gift to everyone
Every person receives the same amount of light in the morning
And though down these endless roads we run
Even though we constantly travel on never-ending journeys
Light's the gift to each and everyone
Each person is gifted with the same amount of light in the morning
With the rising of the sun
Sunrise brings light and a new day
Oh see, kind words cause the clouds to part
Hearing nice things can make problems seem small
And friendship warms each lonesome broken heart
Having friends can ease the pain of a broken heart
And though things seem desperate at the start
Even if things seem bleak initially
Friendship warms my lonesome broken
Having a caring friend can comfort a broken heart
And your kind words cause my darkest clouds to part
Receiving a thoughtful compliment can brighten a bad day
Through the shadows and sidelines
Even in the darkest and loneliest places
In riddles and bad rhymes
Even when things are confusing and difficult
There's signs, songs, and smiling hearts called home
There is always hope and happiness to be found, even in tough times
So see, with the darkening of the day
Again, with the sunset
How all my cares and troubles fly away
Once more, my problems seem to disappear with nightfall
And though through this weary world we stray
Even though we live in a difficult world
All my cares and troubles fly away
Once again, my worries fade with the darkness
With the darkening of the day
As the day ends and night begins
Writer(s): BELLA HARDY
Contributed by Avery H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Hughie McNeill
Lovely! I've been waiting for this since Ceol Cholasa last year.