A Midwinter Night's Dream

A M i d w i n t e r N i g h t ’ s D r e a m Q RC D 1 12 -E As the wheel of days turns into darkness, it reveals the light and hope of spring. Tandis que tourne la roue du temps, les jours s’abîment dans les nuits. Puis revient le printemps porteur de lumière et d’espoir. Während uns das Rad der Tage in die dunkle Jahreszeit führt, wendet es sich wieder zum Licht und zur Hoffnung des Frühjahrs. Así como la rueda de los días gira hasta la oscuridad, vuelve a la luz y a la esperanza de la primavera. The seasons have always held their mysteries and wonders, and we mere mortals have been fascinated by them and driven to understand our inter-relationship with the natural world, as we try to discover the spiritual and religious significance of it all. Over the centuries, music has become a conduit for that reflection as it strives to capture the interweave of our existence. This recording is one modest rendering of that fascination, a kind of discovery chest of musical merry making, inspired by some traditions I have encountered along the way. May the spirit of love, joy and renewal be yours. ~ LM Les saisons sont depuis toujours sources d’émerveillement et de mystère. En tant que simple mortel, nous entretenons forcément toujours une relation avec elles. Subjugués, nous ne cessons de chercher à nous situer par rapport à ce phénomène naturel, lui-même transcendé par son sens spirituel et religieux. Au fil des siècles, la musique a ouvert une voie à cette recherche en permettant de représenter avec sensibilité le fin tissu de la vie. Dans cet album, nous approfondissons humblement cette question en vous proposant une sorte de sympathique cabinet de curiosité musical s’inspirant de nombreuses traditions rencontrées en cours de route. Puisse la grâce de l’amour, de la félicité et de la reviviscence vous accompagner. ~ LM A M i d w i n t e r N i g h t ’ s D r e a m Introduction The holly and the ivy When they are full grown, Of all the trees in the wood The holly bears the crown. The rising of the sun The running of the deer, The playing of the organ Sweet singing in the choir. The holly wears a blossom As white as any flower, And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ To be our Saviour. The rising of the sun, The running of the deer, The playing of the organ, Sweet singing in the choir. The holly bears a berry As red as any blood, And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ To do sinners good. The rising of the sun, The running of the deer, The playing of the organ, Sweet singing in the choir. The holly bears a prickle As sharp as any thorn, And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ On Christmas Day in the morn. The rising of the sun, The running of the deer, The playing of the organ, Sweet singing in the choir. The holly bears a bark As bitter as any gall, And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, To redeem us all. The rising of the sun, The running of the deer, The playing of the organ, Sweet singing in the choir. The holly and the ivy, When they are full grown, Of all the trees in the wood, The holly bears the crown. The rising of the sun, The running of the deer, The playing of the organ, Sweet singing in the choir. 1. The Holly & The Ivy Music: Loreena McKennitt Lyric: Traditional adapted by Loreena McKennitt 2. Un Flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle Music: Traditional arranged by Loreena McKennitt The first good joy that Mary had It was the joy of one. The first rejoice that Mary had Was to see her new born son. To see her new born son good man, And blessed may he be. Sing Father, Son and Holy Ghost, To all eternity. The next good joy that Mary had It was the joy of two. To see her son Jesus, Make the lame to go. The next rejoice that Mary had, It was the joy of three. To see her own son Jesus, To make the blind to see. To make the blind to see good man, And blessed may he be. Sing Father, Son and Holy Ghost, To all eternity. The next good joy our lady had, It was the joy of four. It was the rejoice of her dear son, When he read the bible o’er. The next good joy that Mary had, It was the joy of five. To see her own son Jesus, To make the dead alive. To make the dead alive good man, And blessed may he be. Sing Father, Son and Holy Ghost, To all eternity. The next rejoice our lady had, It was the rejoice of six. To see her own son Jesus, To bear the crucifix. The next good joy that Mary had, It was the joy of seven. To see her own son Jesus, To wear the crown of heaven. To wear the crown of heaven good man, And blessed may he be. Sing Father, Son and Holy Ghost, To all eternity. And glory may he be, And blessed now be she. And those who sing the seven long verses, In honour of our lady. Noël nouvelet! Noël chantons icy; Dévotes gens, rendons à Dieu merci; Chantons Noël pour le Roi nouvelet; Noël nouvelet! Noël chantons icy! En Bethléem, Marie et Joseph vy, L’asne et le bœuf, l’Enfant couché parmy; La crèche était au lieu d’un bercelet. Noël nouvelet! Noël chantons icy! L’estoile vint qui le jour esclaircy, Et la vy bien d’où j’etois départy En Bethléem les trois roys conduisaient. Noël nouvelet! Noël chantons icy! L’un portrait l’or, et l’autre myrrhe aussi, Et l’autre encens, que faisait bon senty: Le paradis semblait le jardinet. Noël nouvelet! Noël chantons icy! Noël nouvelet! Noël chantons icy! En douze jours fut Noël accomply; Par cinq vers sera mon chant finy, Par chaque jour j’en ai fait un couplet. Noël nouvelet! Noël chantons icy! Good King Wenceslas looked out On the Feast of Stephen When the snow lay 'round about Deep and crisp and even Brightly shone the moon that night Though the frost was cruel When a poor man came in sight Gath'ring winter fuel "Hither, page, and stand by me, If thou know'st it, telling Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?" "Sire, he lives a good league hence, Underneath the mountain Right against the forest fence By Saint Agnes' fountain." "Bring me flesh and bring me wine Bring me pine-logs hither Thou and I shall see him dine When we bear them thither." Page and monarch, forth they went Forth they went together Through the rude wind's wild lament And the bitter weather. "Sire, the night is darker now And the wind blows stronger Fails my heart, I know not how I can go no longer." "Mark my footsteps, my good page Tread thou in them boldly Thou shall find the winter's rage Freeze the blood less coldly." In his master's step he trod Where the snow lay dinted Heat was in the very sod Which the Saint had printed Therefore, Christian men, rejoice Wealth or rank possessing Ye, who now shall bless the poor Shall yourselves find blessing. Lullay lallu, thou little tiny child By by, lullay, lullay O sisters too, how may we do For to preserve this day This poor youngling For whom we sing By by, lullay lullay? Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child By by, lully lullay Herod, the king In his raging Chargeth he doth this day His men of might In his own right, All young children to slay Lully, thou little tiny child La la, lullay lully That woe is me Poor child for thee! And every morn and day, For thy parting Neither say nor sing By by, lully lullay! Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child By by, lully lullay 3. The Seven Rejoices of Mary Music & Lyric: Traditional arranged by Loreena McKennitt 4. Noël Nouvelet ! Lyric: 16th Cent French Music: Traditional 16th Cent French – arranged by Loreena McKennitt 5. Good King Wenceslas Music & Lyric by John Mason Neale (1818-1866) Music arranged and adapted by Loreena McKennitt 6. Coventry Carol Traditional Music Arranged & Adapted by Loreena McKennitt Wassail! Wassail all over the town! Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown; Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree; With the wassailing-bowl, we’ll drink to thee! So here is to Cherry and to his right cheek! Pray God send out master a good piece of beef, And a good piece of beef that we all may see; With the wassailing-bowl we’ll drink to thee! And here is to Dobbin and to his right eye! Pray God send our master a good Christmas pie, And a good Christmas pie that we may all see; With our wassailing-bowl, we’ll drink to thee! So here is to Broad May and to her broad horn! May God send our master a good crop of corn, And a good crop of corn that we may all see; With the wassailing-bowl we’ll drink to thee! And here is to Fillpail and to her left ear! Pray God send our master a happy new year, God rest ye merry, gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay Remember Christ our Saviour Was born on Christmas Day To save us all from Satan's powers When we were gone astray. O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy; O tidings of comfort and joy! "Fear not," then said the angel "Let nothing you affright This day is born a saviour Of a pure virgin bright To free all those who trust in him From Satan's pow'rs and might" The shepherds at those tidings Rejoiced much in mind, And left their flocks a-feeding In tempest, storm and wind And went to Bethlehem straightaway This blessed babe to find But when to Bethlehem they came Whereat this infant lay They found him in a manger Where oxen feed on hay His mother Mary kneeling Unto the Lord did pray Now to the Lord sing praises All you within this place And with true love and brotherhood Each other now embrace The holy tide of Christmas All others doth deface White are the far-off fields, and white The fading forests grow; The wind dies out along the heights, And denser still the snow A gathering weight on roof and tree, Falls down scarce audibly The meadows and far-sheeted streams Lie still without a sound; Like some soft minister of dreams The snow-fall hoods me around; In wood and water, earth and air Silence is everywhere Save when at lonely spells Some farmer's sleigh, urged on, With rustling runners and sharp bells Swings by me and is gone; From the empty space I hear A sound remote and clear The barking of a dog, To cattle, is sharply pealed, Borne echoing from some wayside stall Or barnyard far afield; Then all is silent and the snow falls Settling soft and slow The evening deepens and the grey Folds closer round the sky The world seems so shrouded, so far away. Its noises sleep, and I as secret as Yon buried stream plod dumbly on and dream. I dream…. 7. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (Abdelli version) Music arranged and adapted by Loreena McKennitt Lyric: Traditional English (18th cent) 8. Snow Music: Loreena McKennitt Lyric: Archibald Lampman (1861-1899) 9. Breton Carol Music: Traditional Arranged by Loreena McKennitt 10. Seeds of Love Music: Loreena McKennitt Lyric: Traditional 11. Gloucestershire Wassail Music & Lyric: Traditional Arranged by Loreena McKennitt I sowed the seeds of love I sowed them in the spring I gathered them up in the morning so soon When the small birds so sweetly sing When the small birds so sweetly sing The gardener was standing by I asked him to choose for me He chose for me the violet, the lily and the pink But those I refused all three But those I refused all three The violet I did not like Because it bloomed so soon The lily and the pink I really over-think So I thought I would wait till June So I thought I would wait till June In June there was a red rose bud That is the flower for me I often times have plucked that red rose bud Till I gained the willow tree Till I gained the willow tree The willow tree will twist The willow tree will twine I oftentimes I‘ve wished I was in the young man's arms Who once had the heart of mine Who once had the heart of mine I sowed the seeds of love I sowed them in the spring I gathered them up in the morning so soon When the small birds so sweetly sing When the small birds so sweetly sing Gloucestershire Wassail cont’d Producer: Loreena McKennitt Assistant Producer: Brian Hughes Mastered by: Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering Studios, Inc., Portland, ME Business Affairs: Ian Blackaby, Ardent Music Production Coordination: Su Hutchinson Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 11, 12, 13 Recorded and mixed at Real World Studios, Box, England June 15 to June 25th, 2008 Recording & Mixing Engineer: Stuart Bruce Assistant Engineers: Robin Baynton, Greg Freeman, Adam Daniels Graphic Design: De St. Croix & Associates Ltd. Cover Image: John Nobrega Tracks 5, 7, 8, 10 Recorded at Real World Studios, Box, England July 20 to 22nd, 1995 Recording Engineer: Stuart Bruce Mixed at Metalworks Studios, Mississauga, Ontario Mixing Engineer: Jeff Wolpert Assistant Engineers: Russel Kearney, Brad Nelson, Mark Peters Loreena McKennitt: vocals (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12), harp (3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 13) keyboards (10,12), piano (1), accordion (2, 3, 4) Abdelli: vocal (7), mandola (7) Waiel Abo Baker Ali: violin (5, 7) Bob Berry: vocal (11) Gill Berry: vocal (11) Dan Ar Braz: acoustic guitar (5) Aidan Brennan: acoustic guitar (5, 8, 10) Bernard Coulter: vocal (11) Simon Edwards: acoustic and electric bass (1, 3, 9, 13), marimbula (2), sentir (4) Ben Grossman: hurdy gurdy, (1, 2, 4) percussion (2, 4, 9) Brian Hughes: acoustic and electric guitars (1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13), guitar synthesizer (1, 4, 6, 7,8, 12), Celtic bouzouki (2, 3, 4) George Koller: acoustic bass (5, 7, 8, 10) Caroline Lavelle: cello (1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13) Appears courtesy of Ringing Tree Records Rick Lazar: percussion (2, 4, 5, 7, 8) Hugh Marsh: violin (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13) Stratis Psaradellis: Greek lyra (4), Greek lute (3, 4) Donald Quan: tabla (4, 7), viola (1, 2, 3,, 9, 10,12, 13), accordion (5, 8) Hossam Ramzy: percussion (5, 7) Ellen Robotham: vocal (11) Philippa Toulson: vocal (11) Eddie Upton: vocal (11) Robert A. White: shawm (7), uilleann pipes (5, 10), whistle (5, 8, 10) Musicians Track 10 “Seeds Of Love” additional mixing & editing Stuart Bruce Track 6 “Coventry Carol” performed live on KCRW- FM’s Morning Becomes Eclectic on December 2, 1994, in Santa Monica, CA. Hosted by Chris Douridas. Recorded by Theo Mondle using M Sound. Additional recording & mixing by Jeff Wolpert. All songs are copyright throughout the world by Quinlan Road Music Ltd. (SOCAN/BMI). In Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand, all rights are administered by Quinlan Road Music Ltd. Throughout the rest of the world, all rights are administered by Universal Music Publishing MGB PO&© 2008 Quinlan Road Limited And a happy new year as e’er he did see; With our wassailing-bowl we’ll drink to thee! And here is to Colly and to her long tail! Pray God send our master he never may fail A bowl of strong beer, I pray you draw near, And our jolly wassail it’s then you shall hear. Then here’s to the maid in the lily-white smock Who tripped to the door and slipped back the lock; Who tripped to the door and pulled back the pin, For to let these jolly wassailers in. Wassail! Wassail all over the town! Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown; Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree; With the wassailing-bowl, we’ll drink to thee! Drink to thee, drink to thee, With the wassailing-bowl we’ll drink to thee. Veni, veni, Emanuel: Captivum solve Israel, Qui gemit in exilio, Privatus Dei Filio Gaude! Gaude! Emanuel Nascetur pro te, Israel. Veni veni, O Oriens; Solare nos adveniens; Noctis depelle nebulas, Dirasque noctis tenebras. Gaude! Gaude! Emanuel Nascetur pro te, Israel. Veni, Clavis Davidica; Regna reclude celica; Fac iter tutum superum, Et claude vias inferum. Gaude! Gaude! Emanuel Nascetur pro te, Israel. Veni, veni, Adonaï, Qui populo in Sinaï Legem dedisiti vertice In maiestate glorie. Gaude! Gaude! Emanuel Nascetur pro te, Israel. 12. Emmanuel Music & Lyric: Traditional Arranged by Loreena McKennitt Credits 13. In the Bleak Midwinter Music: Gustav Holst (1874-1934) Arranged and adapted by Loreena McKennitt For further information about this and other recordings please visit www.quinlanroad.com or contact us at: PO Box 933, Stratford, ON Canada N5A 7M3 North America Toll Free: 1-800-361-7959 Outside North America: +1-519-273-3876