The band was formed in 1997 by guitarist and vocalist Bryan Josh and has undergone a great many lineup changes over the band's history, too many to list in full. The earliest lineup of the band featured Heidi Widdop on lead vocals, but by the time they recorded their debut album For All We Shared in 1998 for Cyclops Records she had been replaced by Heather Findlay. The album features an eight-piece band including Iain Jennings on keyboards, Liam Davidson on rhythm and slide guitars, and Bob Faulds on violin. Angela Gordon appears as a guest musician, although she was subsequently to to join the band as a full-time member. Two further albums followed on Cyclops, The Spirit of Autumn Past (1999) and The Last Bright Light (2001). By the time of latter Bob Faulds had left the band, but they had been joined by current bassist Andy Smith. These early albums had a strong folk-rock and celtic rock flavour, with instrumental jigs sitting alongside atmospheric epics influenced strongly by the likes of Pink Floyd. The third album in particular remains a favourite with many fans, and recent live sets still drawn heavily from it.
The band then signed to Classic Rock Legends. The first release for this label, the largely instrumental Music Inspired by Lord of the Rings (2001) was not generally considered to their proper fourth album, that honour falling to Passengers (2003). This album marked a change in direction, to a polished melodic rock sound with the celtic and folk-rock elements much reduced, a direction continued with the follow-up Storms Over Still Water. They also released a number of live albums during this period, as well as the retrospective album Catch the Spirit, made up of re-recorded songs largely from from the three Cyclops albums.
2006 saw the band leave Classic Rock Legends to self-release albums funded by fan pre-orders, a business model pioneered by Marillion, and also saw the departure of founder member and significant songwriter Iain Jennings to focus on Breathing Space, to be replaced by multi-instumentalist Chris Johnson. Their first self-released album Heart Full of Sky was an eclectic mix of musical styles, and received a mixed reception from some fans. Conflicting commitments with other bands and a desire to work on a solo project (which ultimately became Parade) saw Chris Johnson leave at the end of 2007. 2008's Glass Shadows saw the band reduced to a core creative duo of Bryan and Heather, and the following tour saw another major shakeup of the lineup, seeing the departure of Angela Gordon, replaced on flute and keyboards by Anne-Marie Helder, and the return of Iain Jennings and Liam Davidson (who's left a year earlier). although neither Iain or Liam had played on the album.
2009 saw the band's first live release since leaving CRP, with the two disks Live 2009 - Part I and Live 2009 - Part II, and also saw the remastered 3-disk retrospective Pass the Clock.
At the beginning of 2010 Heather Findlay announced her departure from the band to pursue a solo career. Her final live performance with the band on 2nd April 2010 was filmed for a DVD release, released as "That Night In Leamington".
Heather's replacement is Olivia Sparnenn, who had sung backing vocals with the band since 2005 as well as fronting Breathing Space, and the band made their first live appearance with Olivia singing lead in April 2010. Their ninth studio album titled "Go Well Diamond Heart" featuring Olivia on lead vocals, again funded by fan pre-order, was released in November 2010.
In 2011 the band released another live album, Still Beautiful recorded on the spring tour. The band's tenth studio album The Ghost Moon Orchestra, is due for release in summer 2012.
Current lineup:
Bryan Josh - Lead/Backing Vocals; Lead/Rhythm/Acoustic/12 String Guitars; Keyboards; Piano
Olivia Sparnenn – Lead and backing vocals, percussion, guitar
Angela Gordon (Goldthorpe) - Flute; Keyboards; Piano; High/Low Whistles; Recorders; Backing Vocals
Iain Jennings - Keyboards; Piano; Backing Vocals
Andy Smith - Bass Guitars
Gavin Griffiths - Drums
Past Members:
Heather Findlay - Lead/Backing Vocals; Acoustic/12 String Guitars; Piano; Recorders; Percussion (left April 2010)
Liam Davison - Rhythm/Acoustic/12 String Guitars; Slide Guitars; Backing Vocals
Anne-Marie Helder - Flute; Keyboards; Piano; Acoutic Guitars; Backing Vocals
Chris Johnson - Lead/Backing Vocals; Keyboards; Piano; Rhythm/Acoustic Guitars
Stuart Carver - Bass Guitars
Bob Faulds - Violins
Kev Gibbons - High/Low Whistles
Allan Scott - Drums
Rob McNeil - Drums
Jonathon Blackmore - Drums
Andrew Jennings - Drums
Henry Bourne - Drums
Heidi Widdop - Lead Vocals
Guests:
Ben Matthews (of Thunder) - Lead and rhythm guitar
Troy Donockley - Low whistles, Penny Whistles, Uilleann pipes, Bazouki
Rachel Jones - Vocal, backing vocals
Chris Leslie - Violin
Marcus Bousefield - Violin
Marissa Claughan - Cello
Peter Knight - Violin
David Moore - Hammond Organ
The Return Of The King
Mostly Autumn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Raise your silver shields
And catch the starlight there
Hey, the king returns
The promise is fulfilled
The blood of Numenor
Hey, Elendil's sword
Piercing the light of Rohan
Hey, blackened skies
We steady our hearts
We run into the night
Hey, men of steel
The fire in your eyes
To burn the darkest night
Hey, men of hope
The point of no return
The floodgates open wide
Hey, the king returns
The song "Return of the King" by Mostly Autumn is a powerful and emotional tribute to the legendary character from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. The lyrics are rich with symbolism and imagery, evoking the themes of bravery, resiliency, and triumph over darkness. The opening lines address the warriors, urging them to lift up their shields as they catch the starlight. This is a call to muster their courage and prepare for battle against the forces of evil.
The chorus, "Hey, the king returns / The promise is fulfilled / The blood of Numenor," speaks to the return of Aragorn, the rightful king of Gondor, and the fulfillment of the prophecy that foretold his return to lead his people to victory. The mention of the blood of Numenor refers to Aragorn's heritage as a member of the noble line of Numenor, which gives him the strength and courage to face any opponent.
In the second verse, the lyrics continue to paint a picture of the battle ahead, urging the soldiers to keep their hearts strong as they run into the darkness. The reference to men of steel speaks to their resilience and fortitude, while the call for them to burn the darkest night is a message of hope and determination. The point of no return referred to in the lyrics is the moment when the warriors commit themselves fully to the battle, knowing that there is no turning back.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, men of war
Addressed to soldiers, calling for their attention and activation.
Raise your silver shields
To advance forward by holding up their shining protection.
And catch the starlight there
To reflect the light of stars on their shields to create a beautiful effect, to represent their duty to protect the celestial realm.
Hey, the king returns
Announcing the arrival of the king, the character of the story, who embodies peace and prosperity.
The promise is fulfilled
The character's return is the realization of the prophecy that the people had been waiting for for years.
The blood of Numenor
The heritage and backstory of the character, the hero, who is part of an ancient and noble lineage called Numenor.
Hey, Elendil's sword
Another reference to the backstory, as Elendil was the forefather of Numenor and protagonist's father, also well-known for his sword called Narsil.
Piercing the light of Rohan
Overcoming Rohan, another location in the story, with the symbolic weapon to bring peace to the land.
To smash the blackest tower
Lastly, to destroy the stronghold of evil and darkness that had been dominating the world.
Hey, blackened skies
Describing the appearance of the sky that reveals the chaos of war and conflict.
We steady our hearts
Preparing and calm before the storm, the soldiers take a moment to focus their emotions and attention.
We run into the night
Moving forward to face the enemy, confronting the danger and the unknown.
Hey, men of steel
Referring to the soldiers as men of steel, stoic and strong, representing the courage they must have to fight the enemy.
The fire in your eyes
The passion and the desire for victory, conveyed through their gazes.
To burn the darkest night
To overcome the darkness of the situation, and bring light to the land and hope to the people.
Hey, men of hope
Another reference to the soldiers as symbol of hope, who are willing to fight for a brighter future.
The point of no return
The moment of maximum risks, where the decision to go forward means accepting the consequences.
The floodgates open wide
The last stand, where the soldiers engage in open battle with the enemy, no holding back.
Hey, the king returns
Repeating the refrain to emphasize the impact of the character's arrival in the story.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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