Label : Queens of Sheba
Review by Davide Torresan
Mediæval Bæbes is a British ensemble of female musicians founded in 1996. The passion for Medieval music is what these girls have in common. You can understand it from the arrangements and the theatricality whereby they propose their music. Often their songs are nothing more than poems accompanied with the sweet melody of an harp, a violin, a flute, a lute and some low percussions.
In their texts they use several languages which are often unknown to some people (me for example) like Gaelic, Cadenet and many more. This feature makes their sound truly unique and original. Mediæval Bæbes boast an highly respectable discography. They even have placed three albums into the top of the classical charts. Their 7th studio album is called “The Huntress”, and it’s a double CD. With no doubts I can define it a long trip in the folklore of distant lands. At times I even felt the sensation of being brought back in the past, in the courtyard of a medieval castle. I was sitting in front of a big fire and there were some girls dancing in front of it and they sang in chorus.
Songs like “Winter Wakeneth” and “She Moved Through the Fayre” are really evocative since they have the power of carrying you in an ethereal and fairy world. Sometimes there are some melancholy and obscure parts, like in “She Moved Through the Fayre” and “Under the Willow Tree” with some really sad texts about a loved one that unfortunately no longer exists. In short, this release is excellent for the lovers of medieval music and for who decides to take a break from the frenzy and the daily life’s stress. They can dip into a light world with sweet, gentle and sometimes even sad choirs. They’ll be able to rid their souls being in contact with Mother Earth.
Rating – 68/100
Tracklist
Disc 1
- Lenten Is Come
- Winter Wakeneth
- She Walks in Beauty
- She Moved Through the Fayre
- Under the Willow Tree
- Cry of the Garb
- Cathedral Song
- Care Away
- Cruel Sister
Disc 2
- Dianae
- Queen & Huntress
- Veni Veni Bella
- The Rose Bud
- Clasp of a Lion
- Phantom
- Jennet’s Song
- Dies Irae
Line Up
- Katharine Blake
- Emily Alice Ovenden
- Esther Dee
- Sarah K Foster
- Clare Edmondson
- Jo Bowis