The Rose

Mediaeval Baebes

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 26, 2002)
• Original Release Date: March 26, 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nettwerk Records
• ASIN: B000063138
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,477 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Sumptuous, soothing, sensual--the heavenly voices of the Mediaeval Baebes continue to enchant the ears with the group's fourth album. These talented Baebes (and their main composer Katharine Blake) borrow lyrical material from medieval prose and find inspiration in medieval music. While most of The Rose comprises original pieces, it also includes a medieval English composition, a 14th century French traditional song, and an Italian lauda. The hypnotic, dulcet voices of this nine-piece collective are mesmerizing a cappella, especially with their fluency in multiple languages, but some of these songs feature accompaniment from strings, zither, recorder, acoustic guitar, percussion, and other instruments. The Mediaeval Bloakes Choir even turn in a supporting appearance on the sublime "Dringo Bell." Despite their name, the Mediaeval Baebes create timeless music that, for many listeners, may help fill in the gap left by the dearly departed Dead Can Dance. --Bryan Reesman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They walk in beauty like the night..., April 29, 2002

By	Steven Cain (Temporal Quantum Pocket) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

(With apologies to Byron.) The first time I ever saw a picture of the Mediaeval Baebes I thought some recording industry guru was attempting the folk/classical equivalent of Robert Palmer's "Addicted To Love" video... i.e. take a dozen impossibly beautiful women and form a gimmick band to cash in on their looks. Fifteen seconds into the first track from their first album, Salva Nos, and all illusions had been shattered. These women were the real thing.

The Rose is yet another classic album from the Baebes, and features one of the most exquisite pieces of cover art I have ever seen. If you have never heard the band, I would respectfully suggest that you listen to tracks 3 and 4 for a sample of what they can do. Track 3, Slay Me Suddenly, is an example of classic Baebes, with the most beautifully sung intricate vocals overlaying a typically intriguing musical track. Track 4, The Snake, follows through strongly, with a vocal trio by that truly Divine Trinity, Rachel Van Asch, Katharine Blake and Audrey Evans.

The icing on the cake is the stunning six-minute closing number, Blow Northern Wind, which is quite simply one of the most beautiful songs ever recorded. Originally a 12-woman band, the Baebes are currently down to nine impossibly beautiful women, and the excellent booklet features a very classy full-page photo of each Baebe. Sigh.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stupendous....., May 30, 2002

By	Dianne Foster "Di" (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

I bought ROSE on a whim. I'd never heard of the Medieval Baebes before. The cd cover art and little snippets of sound Amazon provides gave me a small clue as to what I might expect. But covers and snippets can be misleading. Imagine my delight when I discovered the music is better than the samples.

If you are a fan of Medieval folk music, tunes by composers like Henry VIII, or Celtic tunes and chants you will probably love these songs. The music is joyful, sacred, exotic, haunting, lustful, and sometimes wickedly funny. For example, #11 Dringo Bell, a very old English tune, contains these lines -- "Hogyn cam to bower dore, He trilled upon the pin for love--Hum ha trill go bell" (translation "Hogyn came to the boudoir door, He rang the bell, hoping to score -- Hum, ha, trill go bell"). One of my favorites is #9 "Razreesh" by an anonymous English composer from long ago who appears to have had some familiarity with the music of the Orient.

Baebes sing Madrigal style, which I am told by a friend who is more musically literate than I, is a step above A'Cappella. According to my cd, the website address for this group is medievalbaebes.com if you want to know more about them. I like them so much I bought three more of their cds.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What beautiful voices, April 14, 2002

By	Erica Anderson (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I am a relatively new fan of Mediaeval Baebes. I fell in love with the group's music with their 2000 release "Undrentide". I was intrigued by the cover on the album as well as the fact that the collaboration with my favorite group Delerium. Two years later, I recently discovered that they have a new album out. I was intrigued to see if there was any changes. Well, there was but not in a bad way either. On their last album, the group incorporated live instruments with the women's breathtaking vocals. Here on "The Rose", their voices are the focus with minimal instrumentse used to back them up. I thought it was just great that a lot of the lyrics were taken from various medieval literature like Chaucer's "Three Roundels of Love Unreturned" for "Slay Me Suddenly". I didn't think that it was possible for me to enjoy medieval music as I do with Mediaeval Baebes. I find it refreshing to listen to a group that focuses on the vocals and less on using instruments that would have otherwise taken away the magic of the women's vocals. Mediaeval Baebes released another winner with "The Rose".