~ Splendor Solis ~
Sedayne Astray Volume 3
Assembled from material recorded whilst residing in a wee room in Crossgate, Durham City during the spring & summer 1994, Spendor Solis draws upon a diversity of inspirations, in particular the Ancient Egyptian pomegranates in The Oriental Museum which confirmed the notion of Biblical Fruit which originally turned up during VAS in the November & December of 1993; likewise the plant pots which came about in BSC (Beaker Simulacra Crisis) earlier in the year; these feature throughout, though sadly none of them survive. Summer days filled with light / warmth / even moved to perform; taking to the streets with crwth & busking; much of this was originally issued on two cassettes (MAIA & June Music 93) which one imagines brought immeasurable pleasure to the dozens of people who bought them off me on the historic lanes of Durham & Lincoln where the Shepherd Dance & Lindum Bolero took shape on glad & balmy days; Alchemical resplendence, light, optimistic, & 100% Proximal Indo-European Imrov, likewise Psalm 32 Verse 3, which came out of VAS, thus moving Clive to write Northern Star. The two episodes of BIRD were recorded entirely live during rehearsals for my one-man show of the same name & featured in my solo storytelling performance at The Crick-Crack Club in London later the same year.
i) Rested / Unseen / Unseeing (Astray '94) (8.04)
(voice / dholak / alto clarinet / rain stick / birds / flutes / animal bell)
listen close and it shall be / told / told in the telling / told in the telling between / the setting of the sun / and the rising of the moon / where stars bend / motion / ungiven / eye to eye / light rages night / light rages night / seeing there the dawning / the dawning day / is that not the hare that passes by this place? I have seen it ye hopper of ditches / cropper of corn / a wee brown cow with a pair of leather horns / milk that dark with your shuddering run / beast of no claiming / aye shatter the year by your turning shadow / rested / unseen / unseeing / rested / unseen / unseeing / rested / unseen / unseeing / my eye wakes into day to leap from out of the head / and go as a fish in the silver stream / my tongue leaps there / out as bird leaps there / as bird from tree to tree / leaping there as bird from tree to tree / they go / they go / they go / I am both the fish and the stream / I am both the bird and the trees / let them go from this place to return here / the fish once more my eye / the stream the tears of joy and sadness / the bird once more my tongue / the trees words chosen / the trees words chosen one / one to the other / stars bend / motion / ungiven eye to eye / light rages night / light rages night / seeing there the dawning day / aye milk that dark with your shuddering run / beast of no claiming / and shatter the year by your turning shadow / rested / unseen / unseeing / rested / unseen / unseeing
ii) Lindum Bolero (7.53)
(gardon / crwth / curasaz / low whistle / goat / bird)
iii) Bird 1 (3.29)
(storytelling / harmonic pipe / rattles / bells / frame drum)
bird saw year fall / year fall rise there / where moon set / where moon set sea water shone / water shone flare there / where bright hare ran / bright hare / brother hare / brother hare / sister hare / brother hare go there / bird saw brother hare go there / go where / go where / go where / where go brother hare / seeking dark land / said brother hare seeking dark land where no more shone moon / where no more moon shone / bird said / bird said brother hare we go / we go where no more moon shone / come bird hare say / come bird go there / still shining moon set hare ran bird flew / chased the year turning wheel fall risen there / seeing bird hare sang / seeing hare bird sang / seeing bird hare sang / aye seeing hare bird sang / seeing hare / bird sang
iv) Psalm 102 Verse 7 (3.24)
(harmonic pipes / rattles / birds / bells / plant pots / melodica)
I have watched, and am even as it were a sparrow : that sitteth alone in the house-top
v) Indo-European Shepherd Dance (9.34)
(crwth / curasaz / low whistle / birds / goat)
vi) Proximal Hearthdance (3.12)
(plant pots / dholak / talgardon / rattles / whistle flute / khun / cymbals / gongs)
vii) Splendor Solis (5.34)
(crwth / plant pots / rattles / rainstick / melodica)
viii) Psalm 104 Verse 20 (7.00)
(bell / curasaz / crwth / low whistle / plant pots / bird)
Thou makest the darkness that it may be night : wherein all the beasts of the forest do move
ix) Hyem (aka Quiet Indo-European Village - for Martin Denny) (5.07)
(cura saz / crwth / plant pots / rattles )
x) Bird 2 (2.18)
(storytelling / berimbau / bird / bells / melodica)
aye bird gazed out at day / saw sun risen there / saw sun risen where cloud came bright / where cloud came bright in bright blue sky / wind sang the day / wind sang the day ablaze / afresh / aflame / ablaze / afresh / aflame / and bird saw in this the dreaming eye of kema / the dreaming / dreaming eye of kema wakes / gazing out at bird / gazing out sky where bird flew / gazing out at sky where bird flew away into clear bright air til kema saw bird no more / away into clear bright air til kema saw bird no more
xi) Maia (10.04)
(berimbau / woodblock / dholak / birds / Chinese flutes / melodica / koboz)
xi) Psalm 32 Verse 3 (11.14)
(crwth / HMRB* / goat / rattles / birds / anklung / diverse flutes / bells / kalimba / khun / plant pots / harmonic pipe)
For while I held my tongue : my bones consumed away through my daily complaining
Splendor Solis is presently available in a deluxe black-CDR edition in clear DVD box together with Splendor Solis Supplement CDR. All orders prior to June 21st 2004 will receive free copy of DH7 / LIVE AT THE HERMETIC MUSEUM. Click button below for secure online payment (£12 UKP inclusive of P & P)
or email: solis@sedayne.co.uk
* Hot Music Rap Box = plastic drum machine with flashing light. Poundstretcher circa 1993