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
Aria
Mediæval Bæbes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That children hath by candle light
Her shadewe on the wal iseen,
And ronne therafter all the night.
Bisy aboute they han ben
To catchen it with all here might.
Sannest it shet out of her sight,
The shadewe catchen they ne might,
For no lines that they couthe lay.
This shadewe i may likne aright
To this world and yesterday.
In the lyrics of "Aria" by Mediæval Bæbes, the singer reflects upon a childhood memory and draws a metaphorical comparison to the fleeting nature of life. The lyrics start by expressing that the singer has known since they were young that children would see their shadow on the wall by candlelight. However, despite their efforts to catch it throughout the night, the shadow always eludes them. The children try their best to capture the elusive shadow, but it always manages to slip out of their sight. The inability to catch the shadow becomes a symbol for the transience and intangibility of the world and the passing of time.
The lyrics suggest that, just like the shadow, life and its experiences are fleeting. The mention of "this world and yesterday" portrays the impermanence of earthly existence, which can be likened to the fleeting nature of a shadow. The song becomes a reflection on the joys and sorrows of life and the realization that it slips away from us despite our efforts to hold on.
Overall, "Aria" by Mediæval Bæbes is a contemplative piece that highlights the ephemeral nature of life and invites the listener to reflect upon the passing of time and the transient nature of our experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
I have wist, sin i couthe meen,
Since I can remember, I have known
That children hath by candle light
That children have seen by candlelight
Her shadewe on the wal iseen,
Their shadow seen on the wall
And ronne therafter all the night.
And run after it all night.
Bisy aboute they han ben
They have been busy about it
To catchen it with all here might.
To catch it with all their strength.
And whom they catchen it best wolde wene,
And whoever catches it thinks they have succeeded the most
Sannest it shet out of her sight,
Very soon it disappears from their sight
The shadewe catchen they ne might,
They could not catch the shadow
For no lines that they couthe lay.
No traps they could set
This shadewe i may likne aright
This shadow I can rightly compare
To this world and yesterday.
To this world and the past.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PAOLO GHIRINGHELLI, FRANCESCO GRAMEGNA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
isabel rezola cenoz
LETRAS
I have wist, sin i couthe meen,
That children hath by candle light
Her shadewe on the wal iseen,
And ronne therafter all the night.
Bisy aboute they han ben
To catchen it with all here might.
And whom they catchen it best wolde wene,
Sannest it shet out of her sight,
The shadewe catchen they ne might,
For no lines that they couthe lay.
This shadewe i may likne aright
To this world and yesterday.
Vladas Cinga
Ever since i could remember, I have known
That children, by candle light,
Have seen a shadow on the wall
And have chased it all night through.
Busily they have tried
With all their might to catch it
When they are close to catch it
It shoots quickly out of sight -
This shadow they will never catch
In any trap they lay
This shadow, I liken it
To this world and yesterday.
TalliCat Games
It is Middle English. Many great epic poems were written in Middle English... and now a great song. I am impressed and awed that anyone would take up such a challenging language to write a song with. I love the way it flows when spoken and now I can hear how it flows when it is sung. Splendid! Bravo!
Nick Brutanna
Rhys Fulber is Delerium. He did the music (not the lyrics).
He seems to like working with awesome female singers, look into Conjure One, another of his projects, and also Fauxliage, with Leigh Nash.
Kevin Wipf
😇
Kim Roberts
Very beautiful song.
Archie Young
Translation: Ever since I could remember, I have known That children, by candle light, Have seen a shadow on the wall And have chased it all night through Busily, they have tried With all their might, to catch it. And when they most Expect to catch it It shoots most quickly out of sight. This shadow never shall be caught In any trap they lay. This shadow in the likeness, Of this world and yesterday
Animax
After being on youtube for years, we must say that this is one of the songs that was worth it!!!
NafNav32
This version of the song was composed by the group Delirium (which does collaborations with many artists, including Sarah MacLachlan) and performed by The Mediaeval Baebes.
Ed Burton
I could listen to this song continuously for hours....in fact I have
Brandon Michael
I am.
marion evans
me too...and I share it to my FB friends on their birthday...