Harp Song of the Dane Women

Dismayed by the total lack of Peter Bellamy on YouTube, we offer this interpretation of his setting of Rudyard Kipling's 'Harp Song of the Dane Women' in the hope that it might inspire the uploading of some much needed footage of the great man himself...

The poem is from Kipling's 'Puck of Pook's Hill' (1906) - a lament sung by the wives of restless Vikings. For the words: http://www.kipling.org.uk/poems_harp.htm -

Peter Bellamy's setting appeared on his near-mythical 1972 album 'Merlin's Isle of Gramarye', long since out of print with no CD re-issue available, or yet in the offing.

The performance is by Sedayne; Northumbrian born storyteller, player of odd instruments, singer of traditional songs & devoted Bellamist since buying a self-bootlegged cassette copy of 'Merlin's Isle' from Bellamy in 1984 - 23 years on & it still plays! Check http://www.sedayne.co.uk/storytelling.html for on-line resume.

This was filmed during the recording, though the video editing software doesn't allow for anything so sophisticated as accurate sound / image synchronisation; but as viewer of YouTube you'll be used to that.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Rudyard
• Kipling
• Peter
• Bellamy
• Citera
• Zither
• Folk
• Music
• Vikings
• Sea
• Song

[sabrinaeden]

The mistake is actually adding 'where the pale sun sets' - the original is 'That the pale suns and the stray bergs nesrt in' - close listening to admittedly appaling diction confirms I do sing bergs! All other deviations due to the Folk Process....

[ga55fish]

0:52 - it's 'bergs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Harpmusictogo]

----->>> Please visit HarpMusicToGo (dot) com to hear music

[Orvandel]

I love this. Thanks.

[WyattKaldenberg]

Very good stuff.

[rosasomniferum]

This is SO fecking good man, I hope you've put it out on an album someplace?

Probably the first thing I heard of yours some months back and it was haunting back then, never having heard anything like it at the time. Now that I've heard the Bellamy, you more than do it justice! Especially with the melody shift in penultimate verse. Anyway's I'm gonna give it a go myself now I've plucked up the courage.I don't find it an 'easy' piece I must say and I'm dipping in in insatisfactory fits and starts.

[hagiaadrasteia]

that is really powerful... thank you! 5*

[vanefreja]

:)good!!

[MegMerrilies]

I like this. I'll be looking at more of your stuff to find out more!!

[poulissen]

Nu Peter Bellamy zelf nog , prachtig