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
Quan Vey La Lauzeta
Mediæval Bæbes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
De joy sas alas contral rai,
Que s'oblida es laissa cazer
Per la doussor qual cor li vai:
Ai! tan grans enveya m'en ve
De cui qu'eu veya jauzion!
Meravilh as I quar des se
Lo cor de dezirier nom fon.
D'amor, e tan petit en sai,
Car eu d'mar nom posc tener
Celeis don ja pro non aurai
Tout m'a mo cor, e tout m'a me
E se mezeis e tot lo mon,
E can sem tolc nom laisset re
Mas dezirer e cor volon.
Anc non agui de me poder
Ni no fui meus de l'or en sai
Quem laisset en sos olhs vezer
En un miralh que mout me plai.
Miralhs, pus me mirei en te,
M'an mort li sospir de preon,
C'aissim perdei com perdet se
Lo bels Narcisus en la fon.
De las domnas me dezesper,
Jamais en lor nom fiarai,
C'aissi com las solh chaptener,
Enaissai las deschaptenrai.
Pois vei c'una pro no m'en te
Bas leis qu'em destrui em cofon,
Totas las dopte las mescre,
Car be sai c'atretals se son.
D'aisso's fa be femna parer
Ma domna, per qu'elh o retrai
(Car no vol so c'om voler,
E so c'om le deveda, fai.)
The lyrics of Mediæval Bæbes's song Quan Vey La Lauzeta are written in Occitan, a language spoken in medieval times. The song talks about a lark that moves its wings joyfully and forgets to fly, falling to the ground due to the sweetness that fills its heart. The singer expresses her envy towards anyone who is in a better situation than her and marvels at how easy it is for desire to control the hearts of people. Even though she desires love, she knows that it's impossible for her to have it, and that makes her live with the pain of unfulfilled desires.
The singer talks about how she is powerless when it comes to love and that she has never been fortunate enough to be loved back. She reveals her liking towards a mirror that she often gazes at, and that has become her companion in lonely times. She draws a comparison between the story of Narcissus and her own, whereby just like Narcissus, she has also fallen in love with her reflection in the mirror. The singer talks about how women often deceive men and how she cannot trust them. She also mentions that she has decided to give up on her hopes and desires because they only lead her to grief.
Overall, the song describes the emotions of a woman who is longing for love and acceptance but has been let down time and again. It portrays the pain that comes with unrequited love, the power of desire, and the struggles faced by women in medieval times.
Line by Line Meaning
Quan vey la lauzeta mover
When I see the lark in motion
De joy sas alas contral rai,
With its wings stretching towards heaven
Que s'oblida es laissa cazer
Forgetting itself and falling down
Per la doussor qual cor li vai:
Because of the sweetness that fills its heart
Ai! tan grans enveya m'en ve
Oh! I feel such great envy
De cui qu'eu veya jauzion!
For whoever I see in happiness
Meravilh as I quar des se
I marvel at the wonder that is
Lo cor de dezirier nom fon.
The heart that does not melt away with desire.
Ai, las! Tan cuidava saber
Alas! I desired so much to know
D'amor, e tan petit en sai,
About love, yet I know so little
Car eu d'mar nom posc tener
Because I cannot hold onto love
Celeis don ja pro non aurai
To that which I'll never have
Tout m'a mo cor, e tout m'a me
I lost my heart and myself
E se mezeis e tot lo mon,
And even myself and everything in the world
E can sem tolc nom laisset re
When I am left with nothing but desire and will
Mas dezirer e cor volon.
Only for desire and heart's will to go on.
Anc non agui de me poder
I never had power over myself
Ni no fui meus de l'or en sai
Nor did I ever know how to own gold
Quem laisset en sos olhs vezer
Who left me to gaze into their eyes
En un miralh que mout me plai.
In a mirror that pleases me greatly.
Miralhs, pus me mirei en te,
Mirrors, since I looked into you
M'an mort li sospir de preon,
The sighs of yearning have killed me
C'aissim perdei com perdet se
For I lost myself like Narcissus did
Lo bels Narcisus en la fon.
In the fountain of his own beauty.
De las domnas me dezesper,
I am hopeless about all ladies
Jamais en lor nom fiarai,
I will never trust them by their name
C'aissi com las solh chaptener,
As they often deceive, so shall I deceive them.
Enaissai las deschaptenrai.
And remove their deception from them.
Pois vei c'una pro no m'en te
Since I know there's nothing for me there
Bas leis qu'em destrui em cofon,
I reject them and they reject me
Totas las dopte las mescre,
And I doubt and mistrust all of them
Car be sai c'atretals se son.
For I know they are all the same.
D'aisso's fa be femna parer
And this is how women make themselves look beautiful
Ma domna, per qu'elh o retrai
My lady, therefore, I must refrain
(Car no vol so c'om voler,
Because they will not do as I wish
E so c'om le deveda, fai.)
And only do what they owe.
Contributed by Madelyn C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.