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Guthlac

by Edward Lee

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1.
section 1 16:12
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2.
section 2 10:33
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3.
section 3 09:16
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4.
section 4 07:53
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about

Bandcamp blurb Guthlac

Guthlac is a piece of words and music, lasting nearly 43 minutes. Because of the Bandcamp limit on file size, I have split it into four sections, but really the listener should follow through the whole piece without a break. This also explains the apparently odd pricing – my aim is that the buyer should take the whole piece.

It is the story of an Anglo-Saxon saint, but the aim is neither to promote or attack the religious dimension of the story, and there is nothing that is theologically contentious . My interest was in the experiences of Guthlac as a man.

He was born in 674. He was “of royal stock”. He entered Repton monastery at Repton, but found this very unsatisfactor and so went to live as a hermit on an island, Crowland, in the Great Fen. There, in the still primeval Fen world, he said that he was visited by demons and was given a vivid and frightening view of Hell.

The sources of his story are one in Latin, by a monk, Felix, and two poems in Anglo-Saxon .Part of the uniqueness of this piece is that the narration is both in modern English and Anglo-Saxon. I also include a poem and extracts form a short story by Edwin Webb.

The music has a constant underlying beat, inspired by Dance music, but in important respects outside the limits of that form.

credits

released March 16, 2019

readings and songs by Frances Lee and James Gordon, readings by Felix Cross and Edward Lee, script and composition by Edward Lee

Felix Cross was for many years the Director of Black Theatre Company ( known later as Nitro), and was awarded the MBE for his services to black (and minority) arts. He creates the words of Guthlac and of the demons.

James Gordon was originally a fellow member of CMU and here reads the Anglo-Saxon sections.He also provided sung examples of the Psalms and Credo.

Frances Lee is has for many years been a reader and choir singer and has more recently become an active poet. Her work can be heard at links. She took on the challenge of the narration, the presentation of the Edwin Webb poem, and the singing of Dilexisti and Psalm 67.

Edwin Webb worked for many years in teacher education, notably at the University of Greenwich. He is a published poet, and provided the texts and some of the readings for the album Gargoyle, which can be heard on this site.

Cover art:Moira Jarvis, Willows at Night (extract),Original Monoprint, 2017
www.moirajarvis.co.uk

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edward lee London, UK

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