"...close-harmonies that melt the heart...” (Richard Morrison, The Times)
Following their critically acclaimed debut album Songspin the Juice Vocal Ensemble release their eagerly awaited second album on the Nonclassical label.
"The all female vocal trio, Juice, are something special....these three are feisty and will take on anything....the variety and virtuosity are astonishing, and rewarding" Ivan Hewett (BBC Music Magazine)
“quirky, wry and virtuosically genre-hopping” (The Times)
“It’s rare that an album hits our desks here at So So Gay that turns out to be literally flawless…this album goes beyond simple harmonisation, packing a killer punch with its breadth and depth.” (Sosogay)
"trawls the post-postmodern condition in search of fresh things to say about an eternal subject. Its contents, deal with strong emotions, digging beneath than the self-interested surface of sexual passion to reveal parts of the psyche usually clothed in darkness.” (Sinfini.com)
"...amazing razor-sharp tuning and purity of tone...they held their audience spellbound" (Ivan Hewett, Daily Telegraph)
Laid Bare: Love Songs is a set of specially commissioned love songs from diverse composers from the worlds of classical, jazz, folk and avant-pop integrated and juxtaposed with a series of covers and adaptations of classic love songs including Rihanna’s 'Only Girl In The World', Erasure's 'A Little Respect' and 'You Don't Love Me (No No No)’ by Dawn Penn.
Commissioned composers include Gavin Bryars, Errollyn Wallen, Anna Meredith, Mica Levi (Micachu and the Shapes), Jim Moray (award-winning folk artist), Phillip Neil Martin and Dai Fujikura. For the covers and adaptations of the classic love songs Juice Vocal Ensemble collaborated with MaJiKer, producer and co-writer of the French avant-pop sensation Camille.
The album also includes remixes by acclaimed producers including Devil Dandy (Quebec based sound designer and composer), THiMK (British composer specialising in film, videogames, modern dance and theatre ), Broken Hours (based in Portland, Oregon and presenting the album with an beautiful ambient remix) and Clay Gold (author, librettist, sound artist, audio engineer and compulsive field recordist).
Laid Bare: 10 Love Songs was commissioned with the financial support of the Arts Council England, the PRS Foundation for New Music (PRSF), and the Vale of Glamorgan Festival.
Includes unlimited streaming of Laid Bare: Love Songs
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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The Unquiet Grave is a common traditional English ballad which concerns the belief that the bereaved are allowed to mourn for ‘twelve months and a day’ before they must move on and allow the dead to rest. The editor of ‘The English and Scottish Popular Ballads’, Kenneth Goldstein wrote:
“Aside from its exquisite poetry and music, this ballad is notable for its exhibition of the universal popular belief that excessive grief on the part of the mourners disturbs the peace of the dead. It is possible that this is only a fragment of a once popular longer ballad. In the form we have it today, no text has been reported earlier than the 19th century. The ballad is little known in Scotland and is quite rare in America. It is still current in England, however. The text was collected by Cecil Sharp from William Spearing of Ile Bruers, Somerset, and again from Mrs. William Ree of Hambridge, Somerset.” (Jim Moray)
lyrics
The wind does blow today, my love,
And softly falls the rain
I never had but one true-love,
In cold grave he lies slain.
I’ll do as much for my true-love
As any young girl may
I’ll sit and mourn all at his grave
For twelve months and a day.
My true love’s face was porcelain fair
His eyes of emerald green
His body like a wax-work there
No equal could be seen
They sent him off to Flanders field
All danger to defy
And soon his blood did stain the field
That used to grow so high
But twelve months and a day being up
The dead began to speak
Who sits there weeping at my grave
And will not let me speak
It’s I who sits there at your grave
And will not let you rest
I crave one kiss of your cold-clay lips
And to hold you to my breast
If you’d one kiss of my cold clay lips
Your time would not be long
So make yourself content my love
Till angels call you home
So make yourself content my love
Till angels call you home
For life is only short my dear
But love will linger on
But twelve months and a day being up
My time on earth is done
And all around was whispering rain
And she was left alone
credits
from Laid Bare: Love Songs,
released June 2, 2014
Track 5 The Unquiet Grave: Traditional arranged by Jim Moray. Copyright controlled PRS/MCPS.
supported by 28 fans who also own “The Unquiet Grave”
This sounds like the techno of the future I have always craved, despite being played on a piano. Both genius in terms of concept, and its realisation. unimbued