Fast forward to the present day and we find a rich, warm, emotive voice capable of the tiniest whisper of love to the full vent of a woman scorned.
Featuring on Best of MySpace and a short-listing to the finals of the Shure Songwriting Award 2010, judged by Paloma Faith, has opened up song-writing opportunities with several Top 40 credited artists as well as studio and live performances for BBC Introducing.
Further BBC Introducing support came in February 2011 when Jazz took part in the BBC Introducing Musicians’ Masterclass taking place at Abbey Road Studios.
BBC3 invited Jazz to contribute to on-line content of the extraordinarily moving documentary ‘Our War’ marking the ten-year anniversary of the war in Afghanistan. Jazz’s contribution can be viewed at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00gg32p
Festival invites have also found their way to Jazz with City Showcase, The Great Escape, Isle of Wight, Penn, Guilfest, Outside:Inside, Summer Westival and Greenbelt festivals all finding their way into Jazz’s diary.
Music Week have recognised this growing industry popularity by inviting Jazz to perform at July’s ‘Breakout’ - their monthly showcase night for best new label signings and emerging talent.
But despite this attention, Jazz eschews the beckoning bright city lights and fast cars.
She’s a girl you’re more likely to find padding about bare foot on the beach, walking through puddles in wellies or driving Barry (her battered but beloved van) to the next gig.
Here are some nice things other people have written about Jazz:
“With references to Dusty via Duffy, this budding singer is well worth keeping an ear on”
Phil Jackson, BBC Introducing:The South
“‘Disconnected’ is absolutely cracking – she’s wonderful!”
Melita Dennett, BBC Introducing:The South
“That is the a-mazing Jazz Morley – that’s beautiful Jazz! I’ve heard so much about you, everybody is raving about you!”
Sally Taylor, BBC Radio Solent
“She has a lovely tone to her voice, and there’s more than a hint of Jennifer Rush’s Power of Love to this song, which should please a lot of folk”
Gill Mills, MySpace (Best of MySpace 104)
“With a classic soul voice that belies her age and could be mistaken for a happier Regina Spector, an ear for affecting melody and a knack for writing it, combined with a genuinely lovely, diva-less demeanour, we're backing Jazz to make a major splash. And with all the buzz she's busy creating, we hazard it won't be too long til we see more people falling for her piano-driven charms. Definitely one to watch.”
Jamie Stephens, BalconyTV
“Not often do you come across someone of Jazz Morley's youth with such depth of self knowledge and determination. That quality is reflected in her vocal delivery which has great strength with just that edge of fragility here and there which touches the heart where needed”
Kairen Kemp, Radio Reverb
“I was struck by the control of her voice… she’s got really good pitch and control. What I thought was really lovely was that she really kissed the lyrics… it felt quite sensuous”
Briggy Smale
“A great talent with a voice that reminds me of Eva Cassidy”
Andy Jackson, Wave 105 FM
“A voice of an angel doesn’t justify the sound you hear from Jazz, she is certainly a unique talent with a very bright future”
Glyn Taylor, Isle of Wight Radio
“If you only do one thing today, download Jazz Morley’s track from her site, superb voice!”
Mark Green, Never Enough Notes
In the Bleak Midwinter
Jazz Morley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our god, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.
in the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
Enough for him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,
breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
enough for him, whom angels fall before,
the ox and ass and camel which adore.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
but his mother only, in her maiden bliss,
worshipped the beloved with a kiss.
What can i give him, poor as i am?
if i were a shepherd, i would bring a lamb;
if i were a wise man, i would do my part;
yet what i can i give him... give my heart.
The lyrics of “In the Bleak Midwinter” tell the story of the birth of Jesus Christ and offer a meditation on the nature of his divinity. The first verse sets the scene with vivid images of winter: the earth is hard as iron and the water is like a stone, while snow has fallen on top of snow. The second verse introduces the idea that God is beyond the confines of heaven and earth, and that his coming to reign will cause both to flee away. In contrast to this grandeur, the third verse describes Jesus’ humble birthplace: a stable with a manger full of hay. Despite this lowly setting, he is worshipped by cherubim, angels, and even animals. However, it is his mother Mary who is portrayed as the most devoted worshipper, worshipping Jesus with a kiss.
The final verse poses the question: “What can I give him, poor as I am?” The answer is that, regardless of our station in life, we can offer Jesus our hearts. This sentiment reflects the message of Christmas: that the love of Christ is available to all, regardless of their worldly circumstances or possessions. The hymn encourages listeners to focus on the spiritual significance of Christmas and to seek a deeper connection with God, rather than getting caught up in the commercial aspects of the holiday.
Line by Line Meaning
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
During a cold winter with bitter winds blowing, creating mournful sounds.
earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
The ground was frozen solid and the water turned to ice.
snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
The snow had accumulated, layering on top of previous snowfall.
in the bleak midwinter, long ago.
This happened during a cold winter long in the past.
Our god, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
God is too great to be contained by the physical limitations of heaven and earth.
heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.
When God returns to rule, heaven and earth will dissolve and disappear.
in the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
During this winter, a stable was enough to serve as a temporary dwelling place.
the lord god almighty, jesus christ.
The newborn child in the stable was Jesus Christ, the all-powerful Lord God.
Enough for him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,
The angels worship Jesus constantly, and that is more than enough for him.
breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Mary provided milk for the baby Jesus, and the manger was filled with hay as a bed for him.
enough for him, whom angels fall before,
The angels worship Jesus to such a degree that they prostrate themselves before him.
the ox and ass and camel which adore.
Even livestock such as oxen, donkeys, and camels instinctively recognize Jesus' divinity and worship him.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
There may have been many different types of angels in attendance at Jesus' birth.
cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
This could include the highest-ranking angels, like the cherubim and seraphim.
but his mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Despite all the heavenly beings present, Mary was the only one in a state of pristine happiness and bliss.
worshipped the beloved with a kiss.
Mary showed her love and devotion to Jesus by kissing him.
What can i give him, poor as i am?
The artist wonders what gift they could offer Jesus, as they are poor and lacking resources.
if i were a shepherd, i would bring a lamb;
The singer imagines if they were a shepherd, the gift they would bring to Jesus would be a lamb.
if i were a wise man, i would do my part;
If the singer was a wise man or magi, they would offer a gift, too.
yet what i can i give him... give my heart.
Ultimately, the only gift the artist can offer Jesus is their own heart and devotion.
Contributed by Lincoln V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@gailkabala5339
😊 Ty