Virginia Woolf - Voices In My Head - Helen Chappelle

This moving and dramatic song is taken from the CD "Woolf - a portrait in song". The song is one of 18 songs inspired by the life and times of writer and member of the Bloomsbury Group, Virginia Woolf.
Virginia Woolf experienced several mental collapses during her life, sometimes spending long periods in nursing homes, where she was desperately unhappy. So-called rest cures consisted of the patient being put to bed, ordered to rest, and fed only on milk. During one early episode Virginia claimed that the birds outside her window were singing in Greek, and that King Edward the Second was hiding in the bushes hurling abuse in the foulest language. Though her periods of illness were infrequent, the effects were long lasting. She would suffer raging headaches and high temperatures and become exhausted. Sometimes her heart beat so quickly that she could hardly bear it. Sometimes she would talk for days, and at other times she would not speak at all. Her mind raced, she had delusions, and she refused to eat. But worst of all for Virginia were the horrible voices in her head. They told her what to do, and caused her great despair. These were the very same voices that, in the end, Virginia just could not ignore.
The song is written by David Harwood Smith and Roger G Taylor and sung beautifully by Helen Chappelle.
Copyright Chappelle/Smith and Taylor.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Virginia Woolf
• musical
• Helen Chappelle
• Bloomsbury
• Voices