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The Stories Behind the Music
The music for this album comes from worlds I know well, places close to my heart that I visit in my own dreams. In sharing these songs, I am sharing my imagination. The word “faerie” in the title is used loosely and inclusively to refer to the realm of fairies as well as to mythical beings, including elves, hobbits, fairies, and other creatures. It is no secret that my music is strongly influenced by the work of J.R.R. Tolkien!
As a whole, this project embraces an aesthetic of natural wonder: both wonder at nature and wonder as a natural response to Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. This aesthetic sees quirks and what some might call imperfections as part of the beauty of an individual being: the ancient oak is more, not less, beautiful because it is gnarled, knotty, and covered in lichen. Thus, life can be both down-to-earth and otherworldly at the same time. My songs are another language with which to speak about what it is to be human: to have both body and soul, to be a part of both earth and heaven while walking through this “middle-earth.” My hope is that these songs will draw you into imaginative spaces in which to experience healing, acceptance, and an escape to Reality. -Jessica Comeau |
About the Songs
Tha Mi Sgith
A faerie invocation that incorporates standard and baritone mountain dulcimers (McSpadden) and angel wing harp (Jon Williams): fairy magic with a drop of mountain moonshine… This traditional Scottish melody is interpreted here as an instrumental. The song’s words are in Gaelic: a fairy’s lament over the absence
of his or her mortal lover and frustration at waiting in the same glade, always “buain a ranaich, buain a ranaich,” pulling bracken, pulling bracken…
She Walks in Starlight
Stars were held in great reverence by the elves in Middle Earth. At times, the barrier between the earth and the heavens could be transcended… “She Walks in Starlight” is inspired by this elven love of the stars and especially by the character Tauriel from the Hobbit films.
Prelude: Little Lights
This ethereal melody has followed me for many years, and here, it is imagined as a luminous journey to the entrance of the Elvenking’s Halls before we hear the king’s story...
I Will Never Forget: The Elf King’s Lament
The character of Thranduil, the king of Mirkwood, is another important elf from the Hobbit films. As his character is developed, it becomes clear that behind his cold, imperious demeanor lie raw, unhealed wounds, including the loss of his wife, the elf prince Legolas’ mother; Thranduil is not heartless but has buried part of
his heart deeply where it cannot be touched. Memories last forever like waking dreams for an elf, so when the elf king says, “I will never forget: no, I can never forget,” he means it literally. My inspiration for creating this monologue of the elf king to his lost wife comes from both the films’ characterization of Thranduil and from other creative sources.
I will never forget the days of light when you were mine.
Fragile beauty and peerless strength would endlessly entwine,
And when you embraced the night,
I could feel all the stars align.
Once we walked in undying dreams, set root in sylvan soil,
And from forest and virgin streams drew life with tender toil:
A kingdom to last forever…
Who knew that our bond would sever?
Oh, from the pain I still recoil!
For I will never forget:
No, I can never forget, my love!
If I cover my wounds with rage, they’ll never see my scars...
Shun the cries of a reckless age that drowns in blood and wars…
Such a seductive lie,
Promising wings, bestowing bars,
For when the silence surrounds my throne, I still can hear your voice,
Gentle whispers that won’t condone my isolating choice:
Believing my own illusion
And dwelling in dark confusion…
Could I walk the way to live again? I don’t know…
For I will never forget:
No, I can never forget, my love!
A single memory pierced my soul, the truth that will endure.
Tears are the river my love must cross to a world once more made pure,
And as the battle thunders,
I stand alone and wonder:
Have I courage to grieve for all the hopes that I outlive?
Have I reason to lay down arms, surrender, and forgive?
No jewel could replace your brightness;
Instead, I will cherish your likeness
Within our life that you still give…
For I will never forget:
No, I can never forget, my love! I will always remember!
Only with the Heart
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is an imaginative classic French fable that speaks about love, innocence, life, and death with simple but profound symbolic imagery. My song begins with the standard mountain dulcimer, symbolizing the Little Prince himself, which is joined by a baritone dulcimer, symbolizing the grown up Pilot. The song comes into full flower as a duet between the two souls, one gaining wisdom and maturity and the other rediscovering his own Eternal Youth. The title is derived from a piece of enduring wisdom that the character of the Fox gives to the Little Prince: “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye” (translation by Katherine Woods).
Rose of My Morning
This story-song is loosely inspired by Samwise Gamgee’s love for Rosie Cotton in The Lord of the Rings, and it also bears a melodic similarity to folk songs of the American Civil War era. Whichever motif you are drawn toward, you will hear a timeless story of love and war, courage and determination.
The hills are ablaze with the fires of morning.
They steel me inside ‘gainst the fears I am scorning.
Your love will remain
With this heart full of pain.
Oh, Rose of my morning, adieu.
I know we will walk ‘til my feet have grown weary,
But I will endure through the valley of fear, for
Even death cannot sunder
What we have begun.
Oh, Rose of my morning, adieu! (Repeat)
I want to believe in the hope that is stirring
To drown out the din of the war engines’ whirring.
Though I still cannot see it,
I know it will be.
Oh, Rose of my morning, adieu.
I hope beyond hope though the night overpowers.
With the strength in my arms, I have scaled these high towers.
When these hands cut and bleed,
You’re the courage I need.
Oh, Rose of my morning, adieu. (Repeat)
While I can still breathe, this hope will renew me:
One day I’ll return and find you running to me.
One day I will come home,
And I’ll make you my own.
Oh, Rose of my morn, I love you. (Repeat)
Good in Everything
“Good in Everything” is a poetic and spiritual exploration of the idea that God is present in and revealed in all good things, including the beauty of nature. The refrain is a selection from William Shakespeare’s play As You Like It, in which the character Jacques speaks of finding meaning and beauty within his forest exile.
This sacramental earth is calling me
From the clamor of the world to a silence of the soul.
Truth, beauty, goodness, pure reality
Make their mark upon my life, draw me onward to my goal.
I never have to be afraid of what I lack,
For scattered graces are infinity...
“And this our life, exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones,
And good in everything.”
Like shards of Eden, paradise remains
In sweet fragments glist’ning through the darkness of my thoughts.
With borrowed light, the broken world regains
Many splendors half-forgotten and innocence once lost.
Wallow in wonder, then, and do not look behind.
Spend your heart freely; never count the cost...
For “this our life, exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones,
And good in everything.”
All is Well Within the City Walls
For me, this little idyll has always evoked sweet romantic images in the spirit of Solomon’s Song of Songs, but it has also brought to mind visions of solitude in a woodland retreat. Regardless of setting, one common theme unites these interpretations: being inside but looking and reaching outward with the soul.
Loki’s Fire Dance
Loki, the Norse god of fire, is often depicted with hair made of flames. More than one young dreamer has claimed the mischievous Loki as a favorite character in the Norse myths (you know who you are!) Therefore, in tribute, I share here a dream of unearthly beauty wreathed in flames.
Scarborough Fair
This spell-like traditional English ballad is connected with the ballad tradition of “The Elfin Knight,” which describes a mysterious elfin gentleman (and I use the term loosely) who engages in a riddle contest with a maiden that she might either win his heart or regain her liberty.
Dance Set
The first piece in this set is inspired by the langeleik, the Norwegian cousin of the mountain dulcimer. The second is dedicated to my grandparents on my father’s side; the melody came to me in their home like a little beacon of hope after Granddad had passed away and was with Grandmom again.
Gartan Mother’s Lullaby
This precious poetic lullaby of Ireland unites a traditional melody collected by Herbert Hughes with lyrics by poet Joseph Campbell, and it draws many references from Celtic mythology to fairies of Irish tradition. It is one of the most moving songs I have ever heard because of its tenderness...
Sleep, O babe, for the red bee hums
The silent twilight’s fall:
Aibheall from the Grey Rock comes
To wrap the world in thrall.
A leanbhan O, my child, my joy,
My love and heart’s desire,
The crickets sing you lullaby
Beside the dying fire.
Dusk is drawn, and the Green Man’s thorn
Is wreathed in rings of fog:
Siabhra sails his boat till morn
Upon the starry bog.
A leanbhan O, the pale half moon
Hath brimmed her cusp in dew
And weeps to hear the sad sleep-tune
I sing, O love, to you.
All songs are composed and performed by Jessica Comeau, except “Tha Mi Sgith,” “Scarborough Fair,” and “Gartan Mother’s Lullaby,” which are arranged and performed by Jessica Comeau. All tracks are recorded, mastered, and produced by Jessica Comeau (Pensacola, FL) and are copyright 2020 Jessica Comeau.
A faerie invocation that incorporates standard and baritone mountain dulcimers (McSpadden) and angel wing harp (Jon Williams): fairy magic with a drop of mountain moonshine… This traditional Scottish melody is interpreted here as an instrumental. The song’s words are in Gaelic: a fairy’s lament over the absence
of his or her mortal lover and frustration at waiting in the same glade, always “buain a ranaich, buain a ranaich,” pulling bracken, pulling bracken…
She Walks in Starlight
Stars were held in great reverence by the elves in Middle Earth. At times, the barrier between the earth and the heavens could be transcended… “She Walks in Starlight” is inspired by this elven love of the stars and especially by the character Tauriel from the Hobbit films.
Prelude: Little Lights
This ethereal melody has followed me for many years, and here, it is imagined as a luminous journey to the entrance of the Elvenking’s Halls before we hear the king’s story...
I Will Never Forget: The Elf King’s Lament
The character of Thranduil, the king of Mirkwood, is another important elf from the Hobbit films. As his character is developed, it becomes clear that behind his cold, imperious demeanor lie raw, unhealed wounds, including the loss of his wife, the elf prince Legolas’ mother; Thranduil is not heartless but has buried part of
his heart deeply where it cannot be touched. Memories last forever like waking dreams for an elf, so when the elf king says, “I will never forget: no, I can never forget,” he means it literally. My inspiration for creating this monologue of the elf king to his lost wife comes from both the films’ characterization of Thranduil and from other creative sources.
I will never forget the days of light when you were mine.
Fragile beauty and peerless strength would endlessly entwine,
And when you embraced the night,
I could feel all the stars align.
Once we walked in undying dreams, set root in sylvan soil,
And from forest and virgin streams drew life with tender toil:
A kingdom to last forever…
Who knew that our bond would sever?
Oh, from the pain I still recoil!
For I will never forget:
No, I can never forget, my love!
If I cover my wounds with rage, they’ll never see my scars...
Shun the cries of a reckless age that drowns in blood and wars…
Such a seductive lie,
Promising wings, bestowing bars,
For when the silence surrounds my throne, I still can hear your voice,
Gentle whispers that won’t condone my isolating choice:
Believing my own illusion
And dwelling in dark confusion…
Could I walk the way to live again? I don’t know…
For I will never forget:
No, I can never forget, my love!
A single memory pierced my soul, the truth that will endure.
Tears are the river my love must cross to a world once more made pure,
And as the battle thunders,
I stand alone and wonder:
Have I courage to grieve for all the hopes that I outlive?
Have I reason to lay down arms, surrender, and forgive?
No jewel could replace your brightness;
Instead, I will cherish your likeness
Within our life that you still give…
For I will never forget:
No, I can never forget, my love! I will always remember!
Only with the Heart
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is an imaginative classic French fable that speaks about love, innocence, life, and death with simple but profound symbolic imagery. My song begins with the standard mountain dulcimer, symbolizing the Little Prince himself, which is joined by a baritone dulcimer, symbolizing the grown up Pilot. The song comes into full flower as a duet between the two souls, one gaining wisdom and maturity and the other rediscovering his own Eternal Youth. The title is derived from a piece of enduring wisdom that the character of the Fox gives to the Little Prince: “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye” (translation by Katherine Woods).
Rose of My Morning
This story-song is loosely inspired by Samwise Gamgee’s love for Rosie Cotton in The Lord of the Rings, and it also bears a melodic similarity to folk songs of the American Civil War era. Whichever motif you are drawn toward, you will hear a timeless story of love and war, courage and determination.
The hills are ablaze with the fires of morning.
They steel me inside ‘gainst the fears I am scorning.
Your love will remain
With this heart full of pain.
Oh, Rose of my morning, adieu.
I know we will walk ‘til my feet have grown weary,
But I will endure through the valley of fear, for
Even death cannot sunder
What we have begun.
Oh, Rose of my morning, adieu! (Repeat)
I want to believe in the hope that is stirring
To drown out the din of the war engines’ whirring.
Though I still cannot see it,
I know it will be.
Oh, Rose of my morning, adieu.
I hope beyond hope though the night overpowers.
With the strength in my arms, I have scaled these high towers.
When these hands cut and bleed,
You’re the courage I need.
Oh, Rose of my morning, adieu. (Repeat)
While I can still breathe, this hope will renew me:
One day I’ll return and find you running to me.
One day I will come home,
And I’ll make you my own.
Oh, Rose of my morn, I love you. (Repeat)
Good in Everything
“Good in Everything” is a poetic and spiritual exploration of the idea that God is present in and revealed in all good things, including the beauty of nature. The refrain is a selection from William Shakespeare’s play As You Like It, in which the character Jacques speaks of finding meaning and beauty within his forest exile.
This sacramental earth is calling me
From the clamor of the world to a silence of the soul.
Truth, beauty, goodness, pure reality
Make their mark upon my life, draw me onward to my goal.
I never have to be afraid of what I lack,
For scattered graces are infinity...
“And this our life, exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones,
And good in everything.”
Like shards of Eden, paradise remains
In sweet fragments glist’ning through the darkness of my thoughts.
With borrowed light, the broken world regains
Many splendors half-forgotten and innocence once lost.
Wallow in wonder, then, and do not look behind.
Spend your heart freely; never count the cost...
For “this our life, exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones,
And good in everything.”
All is Well Within the City Walls
For me, this little idyll has always evoked sweet romantic images in the spirit of Solomon’s Song of Songs, but it has also brought to mind visions of solitude in a woodland retreat. Regardless of setting, one common theme unites these interpretations: being inside but looking and reaching outward with the soul.
Loki’s Fire Dance
Loki, the Norse god of fire, is often depicted with hair made of flames. More than one young dreamer has claimed the mischievous Loki as a favorite character in the Norse myths (you know who you are!) Therefore, in tribute, I share here a dream of unearthly beauty wreathed in flames.
Scarborough Fair
This spell-like traditional English ballad is connected with the ballad tradition of “The Elfin Knight,” which describes a mysterious elfin gentleman (and I use the term loosely) who engages in a riddle contest with a maiden that she might either win his heart or regain her liberty.
Dance Set
The first piece in this set is inspired by the langeleik, the Norwegian cousin of the mountain dulcimer. The second is dedicated to my grandparents on my father’s side; the melody came to me in their home like a little beacon of hope after Granddad had passed away and was with Grandmom again.
Gartan Mother’s Lullaby
This precious poetic lullaby of Ireland unites a traditional melody collected by Herbert Hughes with lyrics by poet Joseph Campbell, and it draws many references from Celtic mythology to fairies of Irish tradition. It is one of the most moving songs I have ever heard because of its tenderness...
Sleep, O babe, for the red bee hums
The silent twilight’s fall:
Aibheall from the Grey Rock comes
To wrap the world in thrall.
A leanbhan O, my child, my joy,
My love and heart’s desire,
The crickets sing you lullaby
Beside the dying fire.
Dusk is drawn, and the Green Man’s thorn
Is wreathed in rings of fog:
Siabhra sails his boat till morn
Upon the starry bog.
A leanbhan O, the pale half moon
Hath brimmed her cusp in dew
And weeps to hear the sad sleep-tune
I sing, O love, to you.
All songs are composed and performed by Jessica Comeau, except “Tha Mi Sgith,” “Scarborough Fair,” and “Gartan Mother’s Lullaby,” which are arranged and performed by Jessica Comeau. All tracks are recorded, mastered, and produced by Jessica Comeau (Pensacola, FL) and are copyright 2020 Jessica Comeau.