Emily BrontëやJ.R.R. Tolkienの詩に曲をつけてケルト音楽を演奏するオランダのバンドAnois。そのリードシンガーVeronica Metzさんから、以下のようなメッセージをいただきました。新曲もご試聴いただけます。どうぞお楽しみくださいませ!
⇒新曲“Dreaming All the While”のご試聴はこちらから
(なおこの記事は、2017年9月1日に掲載を、再掲載したものです)
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Emily Bronte poems set to music by the dutch band Anois
Written by Veronica Metz, lead singer of Anois.
When I visited the Parsonage for the first time in 2004, it was almost as if
I was struck by lightning and I found myself fascinated by the sisters lives and
literature, particularly Emily’s. The purity of her soul, her bond with nature,
the remote setting where a unique story in English literature was wrought and
the shadow of the drama that Branwell brought about.. There is just something
about it that I find very compelling. And I found myself lying on bed, reading
books and articles about their incredible and dramatic lives.
During my first visit to the Parsonage the inspiration came upon me to make
an album with music, entirely on the poems of Emily Brontё. Which I
think are very underestimated, still. One of the things I personally love about
them, is that she does not need fancy words or structures; Emily can say very
deep and profound things with simple means and words, without overdoing it or
being theatrical like so many other poets.
At that time I was in a band called Anois (that means “now” in the
irish/gaelic language: yes, Irish and English culture have also been one of my
inspirations). The other band members were gripped by the fever also, and
songs started rolling out very natural and without much effort. Some of the
poems we set to music are “Song (My Lady’s Dreams)”, “Remembrance”, “Stars”,
“The Wanderer”, “Last Words”, “Tell Me” and “No Coward Soul is
Mine”.
We released a CD of this music called “Emily” and had a number of live
performances, amongst others for the Brontё Society in England and Belgium
and at theaters and live sound venue’s. After a period of about 10 years the
band fell apart (like bands do) and I stopped making music for a while, spending
my time at the education for music therapist. Nowadays I make a living as a
music therapist, working with autistic children, and giving piano
lessons.
However, recently I started a new band again, with some of the old
members of Anois: Nick Hubers and Ignace Dhont. This band is called Aylona and
right now we are working at the studio of Ignace, recording new songs. There are
also new songs inspired and on the lyrics of Emily Brontё and we’d
like to give you a sneak preview of what is to
come J Both website and facebook page are under
construction at the moment:
www.aylona.com and
https://www.facebook.com/aylonamusic/
We will start promoting it when we are ready, this is just in case any of you
would like to keep in touch with us.
Many, many thanks to Yoko Ushironaka, without whose enthusiastic
support this article would not have been written.