Worldes Blysse

Mediaeval Baebes

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 27, 1999)
• Original Release Date: July 27, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nettwerk Records
• ASIN: B00000JMXJ
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #50,160 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Hark all ye fans of Dame Darcy, Gothic Archies, and madrigal dinners! The Mediaeval Baebes follow-up their Christmas-themed debut with Worldes Blysse, an imperfectly enchanting homage to the cycle of life and death. Numbering the mystical 13, the Baebes are Miranda Sex Garden's Katharine Blake and her girlfriends, supplemented by a somewhat older period instrumentalist who, along with Blake, is the only classically trained musician. Fancied mistresses of dark faerie tales and maidens of Lilith Fair, the Baebes, bedecked in diaphanous gowns and locks like Rapunzel, perform traditional plainsongs of the 13th through 15th centuries, as well as originals written in that style. Acoustic period-inspired accompaniment flits round a cappella numbers and is given the spotlight on the frolicsome instrumental "La Volta." Giving hardly a hoot for chops, and rather reveling in vivacity, the Baebes court the image of themselves as a naughty flock of strumpets: scooping and sliding into notes at times like rosy-cheeked choirgirls ("Kinderly," "Beatrice"), and at others sounding like bratty children tromping through a village green ("Ecci Mundi Gaudium," "How Death Comes"). Not for purists or classical snobs, Worldes Blysse is a weirdly wonderful windfall for melancholy teens, drama queens, and hipsters too cool for authenticity. --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Picked it up for the name, stayed for the sound, April 27, 2002

By	J. Angus Macdonald "bibliovore" (Concord, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I love early music. I also loved the line from Bill (...or was it Ted...?), "Whoa, medieval babes!" Based on that, I had to listen to this album.

On the one hand, this is a technically highly proficient group of singers. On the other hand, they are the only people I have EVER run across who can make Latin sound sexy (think about it -- it had to be sexy to someone or else where did all those little Romans come from?).

Most of the work here is a capella, with a smattering of instruments in some of the peices to sort of "move it along". The importance here is the human voice in its glory. Fresher and less "academic" than Anonymous 4 (who are marvelous, don't get me wrong), you get the feeling that this is a group of ladies from, say, the 14th century having a sing-along who all just happen to be multi-lingual (Middle English, Old French, Latin).

There are many things I could say positively about this music, but the best way to judge it is to LISTEN to it. Try the sound clips. Better yet, get the album. Get some headphones. Light a couple candles. Pour yourself a nice glass of wine. Then fall into a dozen magnificent voices singing tales of beauty, sorrow, fear, and love.

Whoa, Mediaeval Baebes...

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blysse-ful Baebes, April 7, 2001

By	jessicaelizabeth (United States) - See all my reviews

A longtime Loreena McKennitt fan, I got hooked on the Medieval Baebes halfway through the first song, "Kinderly" -- and that's not even the best song on Worldes Blysse, an honor I'd reserve for "Erthe Upon Erthe", "All Turns to Yesterday," or "Pearl." This album is wonderful.

The thing which astonished me most about it was the congruence between the middle English lyrics and the original melodies to which they are set. Most of the songs on this album are not really medieval compositions, but they partake richly of that tradition. The Baebes keep things simple, letting their choral arrangements and personalities shine. One of the most stunning pieces, "Pearl", combines original music with an excerpt from a long poem (required reading in many medieval lit classes). These lyrics were never meant to be sung. Yet in the Baebes' hands, it sounds seamless and right, complex and energetic, equally appropriate for a Renaissance Faire, a choral concert, or a morning jog.

If you like your medieval music strictly authentic, the Mediaeval Baebes aren't for you. But I'm thrilled that a skilled vocal group is mining the rich, underappreciated lode of middle English poetry and creating something beautiful and relevant out of it. Bravo, Baebes.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If there were gypsies, fairies, and nymphs..., October 9, 1999

By	"dinkster_74" (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

If there were gypsies, fairies,and nymphs in the days of old, Medieval Baebes were those spritely spirits who enchanted mortal man with lust and desire. I bought "Salva Nos" while vacationing in Okinawa, Japan almost two years ago and have been mystified by their talent and beauty ever since. Being in the front row of their live performance at Lillith Fair was even more magical! (My only regret being that they were on a minor stage and not on the MAIN STAGE where they should have been! And I'm sure you hundreds of Lillith Fair fans who were gawking behind me and who were trampled by the stampede of those rushing the stage will agree with me. Sorry, my dear sweet husband, but I told you to stand up front with me and hold on to the railing for dear life!) Masters of baroque, chamber, choir, choral, and many other genres of classical music, these twelve goddesses not only possess vocal fluidity in French, Latin, and Gaelic, but also combine haunting melodies and harmonies in the midst of whispers and shouts. I was enthralled by them at Lillith Fair and am a devoted fan who hopes to see these women rise to the acclaim and accolades they deserve. And I am proud to say that I was one of the first mortals to discover their power. And I have the photographs to prove it!