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
She Moved Through The Fayre
Mediæval Bæbes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mother won't mind
And me father won't slight you
For your lack of kine.
Then she laid her hand on me
And this she did say:
It will not be long, Love
‘Til our wedding day
She moved away from me
And she moved through the Fayre
And fondly I watched her
Move here and move there.
She went her way homeward,
With one star awake,
As the swan in the evening
Moves over the lake.
Last night she came to me,
My dead love came in.
So softly she entered
Her feet made no din.
She came close beside me
And this she did say:
It will not be long, Love
‘Til our wedding day
The song She Moved Through The Fayre by Mediæval Bæbes is a traditional Irish folk song which tells the story of a young love who dreams of marrying his beloved. In the beginning of the verse, the young man is afraid of his love's father who might reject him because of his lack of kine (cattle). He confesses his fear to his beloved and she assures him that her mother will not mind and her father will not slight him for his personal belongings. She touches his hand and promises him that it won't be long until they get married.
The second verse describes how the young woman moves away from him, making her way through the Fayre. Her gestures remind him of a swan moving over the lake, and he watches her fondly as she waves goodbye. In the final verse, the young man is visited by his deceased love, who softly enters the space without making a sound. She stands close to him and speaks the same words that she had promised earlier, "It will not be long, love, ‘Til our wedding day."
The song highlights the eternal bond of love that transcends even death. It conveys the message that love can conquer all challenges, whether personal or otherwise.
Line by Line Meaning
My young love said to me,
The person I love told me
My mother won't mind
My mother won't object to us being together
And me father won't slight you
My father won't criticize you
For your lack of kine.
Because you don't have any cows
Then she laid her hand on me
She touched me affectionately
And this she did say:
And she said this
It will not be long, Love
Our wedding day will come soon, my love
‘Til our wedding day
Until we get married
She moved away from me
She walked away from me
And she moved through the Fayre
And she walked through the fair
And fondly I watched her
I watched her lovingly
Move here and move there.
As she moved around
She went her way homeward,
She went home
With one star awake,
With only one star shining in the sky
As the swan in the evening
Like a swan in the evening
Moves over the lake.
Moving gracefully over the water
Last night she came to me,
Last night my deceased love appeared to me
My dead love came in.
My deceased love entered
So softly she entered
She entered in a gentle manner
Her feet made no din.
Her footsteps made no sound
She came close beside me
She came near to me
And this she did say:
And she said this
It will not be long, Love
Our wedding day will come soon, my love
‘Til our wedding day
Until we get married
Contributed by Eli L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.