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

My Lady Sleeps
Mediæval Bæbes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Stars of the summer night
Far in yon azure deep,
Hide, hide your golden light
She sleeps my lady sleeps

Moon of the summer night
Far down yon western steeps
Sink, sink in silver light,

She sleeps my lady sleeps

Wind of the summer night
Where yonder woodbine creeps
Fold, fold thy pinions light
She sleeps my lady sleeps

Dreams of the summer night
Tell her, her lover keeps

Watch, while in slumber's light
She sleeps my lady sleeps

Overall Meaning

The song "My Lady Sleeps" by Mediæval Bæbes has a haunting and dreamy quality to it, inspired by the summer night sky. The opening lines, "Stars of the summer night, far in yon azure deep, hide, hide your golden light," set the scene of a quiet and peaceful evening. The next line, "She sleeps, my lady sleeps," reveals that the song is about someone who is watching over a sleeping woman, whom they address as "my lady."

As the song progresses, the singer addresses the moon and the wind, asking them to be gentle and quiet as they watch over the sleeping lady. The final stanza mentions "dreams of the summer night" and asks them to tell the lady that her lover is watching over her as she sleeps. Overall, the song has a gentle and soothing tone, with the repetition of "she sleeps, my lady sleeps" creating a lullaby effect.

One interesting aspect of this song is that it is based on a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a 19th-century American poet. The poem, which is titled "The Light of Stars," has a similar theme of a person watching over a sleeping loved one. The Mediæval Bæbes version uses Longfellow's words almost verbatim, adding only the repetition of "she sleeps, my lady sleeps" for emphasis.

Line by Line Meaning

Stars of the summer night
The stars in the sky on this summer night

Far in yon azure deep,
Can be seen deep in the bright blue sky

Hide, hide your golden light
Disappear and shroud your shining brilliance

She sleeps my lady sleeps
My lady is at rest and deep in slumber

Moon of the summer night
The moon glowing on this summertime night

Far down yon western steeps
Descending below the western mountain slopes

Sink, sink in silver light,
Diminish into a gentle silver glow

She sleeps my lady sleeps
My lady is relaxed in peaceful sleep

Wind of the summer night
Breeze floating along on this summer evening

Where yonder woodbine creeps
Where the honeysuckle plant grows and vines

Fold, fold thy pinions light
Wrap up your soft wings