Interlude: A return to the Island in the Lake

I know, I know for a blog called the Talking Oak I have been silent since December. My PhD schedule has been crazy and finding inspiration for blogging when your mind is on academic stuff is really hard. But I have my annual review on Monday so will be back blogging during the lull in studies after that. The good news is my thesis 'The Celticist Infulences of Tennyson' is coming a long really well, I'm really proud of it.

For now though I would like to have a little return to musical versions of The Stolen Child by Yeats that I covered in chapter 6. 

Recently a beautiful new version by the fabulous American Cellist/Singer Unwoman as part of a collection of poems put to music.

Photo from facebook

I have been a fan of her's for a long time and it is really cool to hear her tackle one of my favourite poems. I also love how different it is to the versions I have already talked about. It is amazing that the same words can be used in so many different ways. While maybe not as mornful as The Waterboys or Loreena McKennitt's versions, there is still a sinister darkness that befits the intent of the Faeries in the poem. 

Take a listen for yourself:

Chapter 24 - In the Bleak Midwinter

Another quick post due to PhD work.

Today is the 185th anniversay of the birth of Christina Rossetti, one of the best of all Victorian poets. 

Photo from PN Review

As many of you will know her posthumously published poem In the Bleak Midwinter has become a popular Christmas carol after being set to music by the English composer Gustav Holst.  To celebrate both Rossetti's birth and the festive season here is Canadian singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan performing her version of the carol (found on her 2006 festive album Wintersong). 

Buy Wintersong by Sarah McLachlan US | UK

Chapter 19 - Virginia Clemm

I have a confession to make: I totally adore the Norwegian band Katzenjammer.  

Marianne Sveen, Solveig Heilo, Anne Marit Bregheim, and Turid Jørgensen (photo from Universal Germany)

It is hard to describe their style as the group consisting of Marianne Sveen, Solveig Heilo, Anne Marit Bregheim, and Turid Jørgensen play everything from folk and country to more punky and pop sounds with a multitude of different instruments. I love all three of their studio albums and the concert I went to earlier this  year was the best I've attended bar none. I am really looking forward to seeing them again next month.  

Today I just want to spotlight a song of theirs that has a connection to Victorian era literature from their first album: Virginia Clemm (Music by Helio with lyrics by Mats Rybø)

Virginia Clemm was the wife of Edgar Allan Poe who he married when she was 13 and he was 26. Their marriage was an unhappy one with Poe being involved in scandals with other women. She died of tuberculosis aged 24, leaving Poe to a number of poems involving a man outliving his wife, including The Raven.

Virginia Clemm (photo from wikipedia) 

The song, written from perceptive of the dead Clemm, is a haunting examination of the relationship between her and her husband and a message to Poe that she is his inspiration. A beautiful song from an excellent album.

Buy Le Pop by Katzenjammer

Amazon US | Amazon UK 

Chapter 13: Crossing the Bar

On this day in 1892, Alfred, Lord Tennyson left this world aged 83. I feel that it is only appropriate to post this song version of Crossing the Bar (the poem he wanted to close all his collections) by British folk band False Lights 

Chapter 6: Come away, O human child!

W.B Yeats is usually seen as a early 20th century poet but my favourite of his poems The Stolen Child was published in 1889. I love it's beautiful and heartbreaking tale of the taking of a child by faeries, the final stanza in particular brings me to tears. And much like my experiences disovering Tennyson, I first discovered the poem by way of music.

There have been many musical versions of the poem, however the first one that I heard and fell in love with was recorded by The Waterboys (which spoken word sections by Tomás Mac Eoin) for their 1988 record album Fisherman's Blues. I really think it captures the heartbreaking otherworldliness of the poem with Mike Scott's haunting vocals matching up perfectly to Mac Eoin's reading of the text.

I also love Loreena McKennitt's version from her 1985 album Elemental. 

More recently my brother played me a version by British folk act Merrymouth from their 2012 debut album witch is also extremely good.

I know that there are other song versions of the poem but these are the three I'm most familiar with so sorry if I missed out anything.

The Waterboys - Fisherman Blues Amazon US | Amazon UK
Loreena McKennitt - Elemental Amazon US | Amazon UK 
Merrymouth -  Simon Fowler's Merrymouth Amazon US | Amazon UK