World's Bliss - Medieval Songs of Love and Death

John Fleagle (Composer), Ivor Gurney (Composer), Tammy Rawlinson (Composer), Traditional (Composer), Christmas Traditional (Composer), English Traditional (Composer), French Traditional (Composer), John Fleagle (Performer), Shira Kammen (Artist)

Product Details

• Performer: John Fleagle
• Composer: John Fleagle, Ivor Gurney, Tammy Rawlinson, Traditional, Christmas Traditional, et al.
• Audio CD (November 7, 2000)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Archetype
• ASIN: B000003QZK
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #186,760 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars eclectic perfection, September 27, 1999

By A Customer

This CD makes my heart soar. The immense beauty is almost overwhelming. My two small children are as captivated as I am, and I have been singing a few of Fleagle's songs every day!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect from beginning to end, April 8, 2003

By	Daniel T. Gianola-Norris (Cotati, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

John Fleagle's album is simply one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. Fleagle combines period performance technique with a folk singer's sensibilities, creating a work that brings the powerful emotions of these poems to life for the modern listener. This is a dark, rich, and spellbinding album. The songs are mainly Fleagle's own musical settings of Middle English and traditional poems, and because he immerses himself so completely in the meaning of the text and in the medieval musical style, his compositions ooze authenticity. He is a skilled multi-instrumentalist, accompanying himself gracefully on a variety of instruments. Every track is spellbinding. "The Hern" has the spooky, haunting beauty of a dream that you can't forget, and the sound of Fleagle's gothic harp is the perfect match for the song's poetic imagery. The poems for all of the songs are printed in the booklet, and the Middle English pieces are accompanied by modern translations, allowing a fuller appreciation of their verbal beauty. You will not regret buying this album.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bringing Medieval Music to life, September 24, 2000

By	R. Largess (Boston, Massachusetts United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was fortunate in meeting John perhaps three years before his death.By chance;I was looking for someone to talk to a class of high school seniors and his name was given to me. He ended up performing for students and teachers several times. It was a glorious,joyous,heartbreaking AND intellectually fascinating experience. John`s gifts were so many and remarkable: the beauty of his voice- his power as an artist. His vast depth of knowledge, of music, language, musicology. He performed medieval music, composed music for medieval poetry, made his own medieval instruments.His generosity and gentleness.Even now,although I hardly knew him outside these performances,the thought of his death is a bitter pang. I only wish more of his remarkable repertoire was recorded.