The Mediæval Bæbes is an English ensemble of female musicians founded by Mi… Read Full Bio ↴The Mediæval Bæbes is an English ensemble of female musicians founded by Miranda Sex Garden member Katharine Blake in London in 1996, featuring some of her MSG cohorts as well as other friends who share her love of medieval music. The lineup often rotates from album to album, and ranges from 6to 12 members.

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

Averil
Mediæval Bæbes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the nightegale singes,
And the wodes waxen grene:
Lef and grass and blosme springes
In Averil, I wene;

(And) love is to min herte gon
With one spere so kene:
Night and day my blod it drinkes;

Min herte deth me tene.

Ich have loved all this year
That I may love namore;
Ich have siked mony sik,
Lemmon, for thin ore.

Me nis love never the ner,
And that me reweth sore.
Swete lemmon, thench on me:
Ich have loved thee yore.

Swete lemmon, I preye thee
Of love one speche.
Whil I live in world so wide
Other nulle I seche.

With thy love, my swete leof,
My bliss thou mightest eche:
A swete cos of thy mouth
Mighte be my leche.

Swete lemmon, I preye thee
Of a love-bene;
If thou me lovest, as men says,
Lemmon as I wene.

And if it thy wille be,
Thou loke that it be sene.

So muchel I thenke upon thee
That all I waxe grene.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Mediæval Bæbes's song Averil revolve around the arrival of springtime, symbolized by the budding of leaves and flowers, and the shifting of the singer's heart towards a new love interest. The opening lines describe the onset of spring, with the nightingale's song heralding the season's arrival and the woods turning green with new life. The singer's heart has been struck by a sharp spear of love, which consumes them day and night. They pine for their beloved, who they have loved for a year but can love no longer, and who has caused them much suffering. However, despite their heartbreak, they still long for their lover's affection and hope for a sign of their love.

The singer implores their lover to speak of love to them, and begs them for a kiss to heal their heart. They ask for a love-token to prove the love they share, and beseech their lover to show their affection publicly. The singer's love is all-consuming, as they cannot think of anything else but their beloved and have become green with envy and longing. Through these lyrics, the song explores themes of love, heartbreak, longing, and the beauty of nature, as well as the cultural and literary traditions of medieval courtly love.

Line by Line Meaning

When the nightegale singes,
During the time when nightingales sing,

And the wodes waxen grene:
And when the trees become green with leaves,

Lef and grass and blosme springes
All the leaves, grass, and flowers start to grow and bloom,

In Averil, I wene;
In April, I believe;

(And) love is to min herte gon
And I have fallen in love,

With one spere so kene:
With a sharp spear of love,

Night and day my blod it drinkes;
It consumes me both day and night,

Min herte deth me tene.
And it torments me to the point of death.

Ich have loved all this year
I have been loving for a year now,

That I may love namore;
But I can no longer love,

Ich have siked mony sik,
I have sighed many sighs,