He and his family moved to Kingussie, Speyside, Scotland when he was 10. One of his teachers introduced him to the Great Highland Bagpipe. Within two years Martyn was winning prizes in many of the junior piping competitions around Scotland. He then took up violin, piano and composing at the age of 15 at the City of Edinburgh Music School, continuing his studies at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 1990.
In 1993, just before graduating, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which he related to the suffocating and stressful environment of the Classical world where "enjoyment of the music [...] was out-weighed by the pressure to succeed" [1]. In 1994 he began to spend more time with his first musical love, folk and traditional, and it was not much later that he started to experiment with electronica. He performed at the world premiere party for the film Braveheart.
In 1996, he released his first self-titled album on Eclectic Records. In 1998 he released Bothy Culture, his most successful album. In 2000, just a few months after a highly acclaimed headlining set at the Cambridge Folk Festival, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma.
He died on January 30, 2005, following a long struggle with cancer.
Liberation
Martyn Bennett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is in the tabernacles of the righteous;
The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.
The right hand of the Lord is exalted;
I shall not die, but live
And declare the works of the Lord.
The Lord hath chastened me sorely,
But He hath not given me over unto death.
Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord
This is the gate of the Lord,
Into which the righteous shall enter.
I will praise Thee, for Thou hast heard me
And art become my salvation.
The stone which the builders refused
Has become the head stone of the corner.
This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go into them.
"Liberation" This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
(Psalm 118, 15-23; King James Version)
Martyn Bennett's song "Liberation" is a powerful and moving interpretation of Psalm 118:15-23. The lyrics speak of the voice of rejoicing and salvation in the tabernacles of the righteous and the right hand of the Lord doing valiantly. The singer proclaims that the Lord's right hand is exalted and he will not die, but live to declare the works of the Lord. However, the singer also acknowledges that the Lord has chastened him sorely, yet has not given him over unto death. He then implores the gates of righteousness to be opened so that he may enter and praise the Lord.
The reference to the "stone which the builders refused" becoming "the head stone of the corner" is a metaphor for the singer's personal experience of being rejected by society, but finding redemption through the Lord. The singer praises the Lord for becoming his salvation and declares that this liberation is the Lord's doing, which is marvelous in their eyes.
Overall, the lyrics of "Liberation" are a powerful expression of faith, redemption, and the transformative power of the Lord's love. It speaks to the struggles of individuals who have been rejected by society and find hope and salvation in the Lord.
Line by Line Meaning
The voice of rejoicing and salvation
Happiness and redemption can be found in the homes of the righteous
Is in the tabernacles of the righteous;
This joy and redemption is specifically found within the homes of those who follow the path of God
The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.
God's strong hand does great deeds of courage and power
The right hand of the Lord is exalted;
God's right hand is lifted up in victory and praise
I shall not die, but live
I will not perish, but endure with renewed life and strength
And declare the works of the Lord.
I will proclaim and share the great deeds and wonders of God
The Lord hath chastened me sorely,
God has disciplined me harshly and painfully
But He hath not given me over unto death.
Yet even in the midst of suffering, God has not abandoned me to die
Open to me the gates of righteousness;
Let me enter into the path of right living and justice
I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord
I will enter this path and give thanks and worship to God
This is the gate of the Lord,
This is the entranceway to the presence and way of God
Into which the righteous shall enter.
Only those who are faithful to God and follow His ways will be able to enter through this gate
I will praise Thee, for Thou hast heard me
I will give thanks to God, for He has heard my prayers and pleas
And art become my salvation.
God has saved and delivered me from harm and danger
The stone which the builders refused
The stone that was rejected and overlooked by those who should have recognized its value
Has become the head stone of the corner.
Has been raised up by God to be the most important and essential stone in the entire structure
This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
All of these miraculous works are the accomplishment of God, and are wondrous and awe-inspiring to witness
Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go into them.
Let me enter into the path of right living and justice, and I will follow it obediently
"Liberation" This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
The singer is realizing and declaring that their own freedom and liberation from suffering is a work of God, and is truly amazing to see
Writer(s): Martyn Bennett
Contributed by Parker V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@KH-jn8xl
This opens up the gates of heaven for me. Rest in paradise Martyn & thank you❤
@davidclark2635
Happy 50th Birthday Martyn. Shame you left us... what a celebration it would be...
@CyberDocUSA
R.I.P. Martyn Bennett. You gave much to the world and we thank you.
@michaelescolme5452
Psalm 118:23 "This is the Lord's doing. It is marvelous in our eyes." Face the mountains and hear those words. You don't have to be a Christian for the hairs on the back of your next to stand up. RIP Martyn.
@alancru
Just watched the tribute to Martyn on "Celtic Connections" this evening, just fantastic! what a sad loss at 33 he is but what a wonderful legacy of music he has left for us all to enjoy, much love and respect young man.
@georgesmith540
First time I saw the Isle of Skye I had this blasting on the car stereo. I had to pull over because it was overwhelming.
@jackiewatson5665
Beautiful mate
@gauravoberoi962
Seriously.... Superb. RIP Martyn.., but if you can, please come back again.
@SharpblueCreative
I've just learned of the wonderful talent of Mr. Bennett, and the sad story of an excellent musicians life cut short. Thanks to the BBC and the recent premier of GRIT performed life in Glasgow (repeated on BBC ALBA Friday 20th February 2015 at 10:00pm) - I am now hooked and getting the back catalog. Only wish I'd learned of him earlier. RIP Martyn Bennett. At last I know you now. And thank you for the music.
@SharpblueCreative
Brilliant music- I have recorded the concert. Would love to share it as the BBC have no intention of releasing it. They never responded to my enquiries about it.