The Bæbes's first album, Salva Nos (1997), shot straight to No 2 in the classical charts, a silver disc. Subsequent albums include Worldes Blysse (which went straight to No 1), Undrentide, (co-produced by John Cale), The Rose, and the Christmas-themed album Mistletoe & Wine.
Mirabilis (2005), was launched at a concert and party in London, August 2005. A self-titled DVD was released in July 2006. The first 300 preorders were autographed by the band and received a special mention in the DVD credits.
A live album was be released in December 2006 and featured two bonus studio tracks, An Itunes exclusive was also launched which added tracks not featured on the cd release and at this time still remain exclusive so is well worth tracking down.
The new album entitled Illumination was released via preorder on the bands website in Oct 2008 and as an added incentive to fans features two bonus tracks not included on the regular wholesale edition which has a Spring 2009 official release date. There has been concerns over the mastering of the album from fans which could account for the delayed release dates.
Each album features traditional medieval songs and poetry set to music, mostly arranged by Blake specifically for the ensemble, alongside varying numbers of original compositions. They sing in a variety of languages, including Latin, Middle English, French, Italian, Russian, Middle High German, Welsh, Irish Gaelic, modern English, Swedish and the nearly extinct Cornish. Their vocals are backed by medieval instruments, including the recorder and cittern, played by the singers or fellow musicians.
One of the group's founding musicians, Dorothy Carter, died of a stroke in 2003 at the age of 68. In addition to playing autoharp, hurdy gurdy, and dulcimer with the group, she performed the lead vocals on So Spricht Das Leben (Worldes Blysse) and L'Amour de Moi (The Rose).
Emily Ovenden, who sings with the group, is the daughter of artist Graham Ovenden.
The Bæbes' musical pieces run the gamut from extremely traditional, such as their version of The Coventry Carol on Salva Nos, to songs that feel traditional but are much more modern, such as their rendition of Summerisle, a song written for Robin Hardy's 1973 cult film Wicker Man. John Cale added non-medieval instruments, including saxophone and electric guitar, to some of the arrangements on Undrentide, although with subsequent albums the band returned to more traditional instruments. Even with these instruments, however, the band's current style is quite different from medieval authentic performance groups, as it displays significant modern influence.
Current Band Members:
Katharine Blake (Contralto, Recorders, Violin, Piano), Emily Ovenden (Soprano, Recorders, Concertina, Percussion), Ester Dee (Soprano), Claire Rabbitt (Contralto, Piano), Bev Lee Harling (Alto, Violin, Citern, Recorders, Guitar), Melpomeni Kermanidou (Mezzo Soprano, Piano)
former Band Members:
Dorothy Carter, Karen Lupton, Nicole Frobusch, Nichole Sleet, Carmen Schneider, Claire Ravel, Ruth Galloway, Teresa Casella, Rachel Van Ash, Audrey Evans, Marie Findley, Cylindra Sapphire, Sophie Evans, Maple Bee, Sofia Escobar, Maxine Fone
Official website: www.mediaevalbaebes.com
Adam Lay Ibounden
Mediæval Bæbes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bounden in a bond
Foure thousand winter
Thought he not too long
And all was for an apple
And apple that he tok
As clerkes findin
Ne hadde the apple taken ben
The apple taken ben
Ne hadde never our lady
A ben hevene queen
Blissed be the time
That apple take was
Therefore we moun singen
'Deo Gracias!'
The song "Adam Lay Ibounden" by Mediæval Bæbes explores the biblical story of Adam and Eve and their fall from grace. The lyrics depict Adam as being bound in a bond for four thousand winters because of his sin of taking an apple, which ultimately led to the fall of humanity. The song highlights the significance of this moment and the impact it had on the world, as it led to the emergence of Christianity and the eventual birth of Jesus Christ, who became the savior of humanity.
The lyrics also mention the role of the Virgin Mary in the story. It is suggested that if Adam had not taken the apple, Mary would not have been able to become the queen of heaven. This highlights the intricate and complex nature of the biblical story and the different interpretations that can be derived from it.
Overall, "Adam Lay Ibounden" is a beautiful and meaningful song that showcases the rich history and cultural significance of medieval music.
Line by Line Meaning
Adam lay inbounden
Adam lay in bondage
Bounden in a bond
Constricted in a constraint
Foure thousand winter
For four thousand winters
Thought he not too long
He did not consider it too lengthy
And all was for an apple
And all was because of an apple
And apple that he tok
An apple that he took
As clerkes findin
As scholars discovered
Wreten in here a book
Written in their book
Ne hadde the apple taken ben
Had the apple not been taken
The apple taken ben
The apple been taken
Ne hadde never our lady
Our Lady would never have
A ben hevene queen
Become the Queen of Heaven
Blissed be the time
Blessed be the moment
That apple take was
When the apple was taken
Therefore we moun singen
Therefore, we must sing
'Deo Gracias!'
Thanks be to God!
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@johnandrez
It's not a Christmas carol. It's an Advent carol. Technically speaking, and this holds true for some Catholic countries and cultures today, Christmas spans twelve days (The 12 Days of Christmas?) from Christmas/Nativity on the 25th to Epiphany on January 6th (in commemoration of the Three Magi) during which celebratory and joyous carols are sung. When people say, "the Christmas season," nowadays they mean what is technically the Advent season.
Advent in medieval times, however, was the complete opposite of the way it is mostly observed today by secular people. Advent was a time of preparation, penitence, fasting, abstaining from meat, meditation, stillness and deep prayer. It's themes had less to do with the Jesus, Mary and Joseph in a stable with shepherds and animals, etc. but more to do with commemoration of the Old Testament stories beginning with Adam, down through the prophets whom Christians believe prophesied about Christ. Advent commemorates (in "traditional" chronology) the 4,000 years that the Jewish people had to wait for the coming of their Messiah. Hence, the 4,000 winters referenced in the song and the four Advent candles on an Advent wreath.
From the perspective of a Christian, especially one observing Advent as a Catholic or Orthodox Christian, Adam and Eve are intimately bound-up with the Christmas story. This is because God punishes the serpent in Chapter 3 of Genesis and makes a prophesy that, to Christian eyes, sticks out:
"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
Genesis 3:15
Adam and Eve, in the traditional imagination of Christians, find their redemption in Christ. Their story is remembered and read in multiple places throughout the Christian liturgical year. If you do a Google search for the strings "Christian" "icon" "Easter" and "resurrection" you'll even find an icon of a resurrected Christ on Easter Morning pulling Adam and Eve from the grave!
Unlike modern discourses about Christianity that are present even amidst Christians themselves, but especially amongst secular people whose knowledge of Christianity is limited to having "been raised in it," earlier forms of Christian thinking had very different paradigms, perspectives and practices. As one example only, they had no problem with mixing prophecy and fulfillment, symbol and reality, story and liturgy so that time is transcended and all times and themes and stories and symbols and prophecies speak of one reality alone: Christ. In this way, the different events in the year like Christmas, Easter, etc. are telling the same story but in different ways and with different emphases. The Christian feasts are like the rainbow that's created when white light goes through a prism.
@Raven9619
"Adam lay ybounden", originally titled Adam lay i-bowndyn[1] is a 15th century macaronic English text of unknown authorship. The manuscript on which the poem is found, (Sloane 2593, ff.10v-11), is held by the British Library, who date the work to c.1400 and speculate that the lyrics may have belonged to a wandering minstrel;
@smharrison4105
Beautiful interpretation ❤
@musicman0209
Look to the text: Blissed be the time That apple take was Therefore we moun singen "Deo gracias!" The theological idea presented by the medieval text is that if Adam and Eve had never eaten the forbidden fruit, there never would have been need of a savior, and thus no need for Jesus. Therefore, we must sing "Deo Gracias!" - "Thanks be to God"
@Raven9619
The text was originally meant to be a song text, although no music survives. However, there are many notable 20th century choral settings of the text, with diverse interpretations by several English composers, including Peter Warlock,[10] John Ireland,[11] Boris Ord,[12] Philip Ledger,[13] Carson Cooman[14] and Benjamin Britten (titled Deo Gracias in his Ceremony of Carols).[
@scandi5356
Absolutely beautiful.
@gateen22
I've looked for this song for a week! I love it
@TheClahey
Maybe because I grew up always lost in fantasy worlds and Arthurian legend, but their stuff really appeals to me; as a musician, also.
@Raven9619
Adam lay ybounden relates the events of Genesis, Chapter 3. In medieval theology, Adam was supposed to have remained in bonds with the other patriarchs in the limbus patrum from the time of his death until the crucifixion of Christ (the "4000 winters").[4] The second verse narrates the Fall of Man following Adam's temptation by Eve and the serpent. John Speirs suggests that there is a tone of astonishment, almost incredulity in the phrase "and all was for an apple",
@JGlascock100
A Beautiful mix of old and , middle English, with Latin and I believe old French(I'm referring to all their songs), the style is definitely spot on, and I am going to assume that there's some Celtic and Gaelic in their music in general, all blended beautifully, giving you the feel of being in those times, when Catholicism was in its infancy.
@Anthony_Cika
More Old Germanic than French I think. But I could be wrong.