So,
Here it is. The latest instalment in my mission to get my dear wife back into music.
Story goes like this:
First objective was to find a song. As her main interest, and subject for her degree, was English Literature and a specific interest in children's stories she decided that we should be looking at adaptations of fairy tales. The choice here was Grimm's The Six Swans.
Next was to find a tune. I researched a whole bunch of rare traditional tunes and eventually came up with an Irish/English tune which had only once been used for a minor song in the Victorian era and a couple of times since as a solo whistle tune, and would suit her voice.
I sent off the story idea and a sample of the tune to master lyricist Joel Sattler who came up with an adaptation of the story to fit the tune.
I then mapped out an acoustic guitar story-board to which we recorded the vocal track.
I invited certain reliable musicians, who I had worked with previously, to contribute specific ideas which were in my initial arrangement.
My vision was for this to be in the 'folk-rock' style of early Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span who have always been major influences in my musical upbringing. The musicians and their pieces were commissioned to fit into this category.
After these parts were all submitted I had the unenviable task of mixing the whole project to fit round an extremely delicate vocal delivery (she is a long way off regaining full strength).
Here is the result.
As this is (almost) an 8 minute song I have had to compress the life out of it to be able to fit the file size here. If you want the full strength version it can be found at:
http://www.kompoz.com/compose-collaborate/info.song.music?trackId=257523We have LadyD on vocal,
Nigel on drums,
Peter on lead guitar breaks,
Enrico on violin and
myself on acoustic and electric guitars, bass, mandolin and arrangement/mix.
THE SIX SWANS song lyrics revised version
by Joel Sattler
based on the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm
six brothers and their sister fair
lived by the river wide
the widowed king, their father was
and then he took a bride
but she was full of jealousy
black magic she did spawn
and placed a curse upon the boys
that turned them into swans
their sister she was told the spell
could only lose its power
if she would weave each one a shirt
made of the starwort flower
six brothers and their sister fair
who knows where they have gone
some people dream of princesses
and memories of swans
and also she must take a vow
of silence for six years
and if she could accomplish this
her loved ones would appear
one day the King of Mountains came
and asked for leave to wed
the gentle lovely silent girl
whose eyes no tears had shed
he took her to the Land of Skye
among the hills so wild
and there she bore him children three
in silence deep and wide
six brothers and their sister fair
who knows where they have gone
some people dream of princesses
and memories of swans
the wicked queen accused her
of crimes foul and depraved
against these she could not defend
if her brothers would be saved
the day came when the fire was set
to burn her at the stake
the flowered shirts were almost done
but yet her spirit did not break
and as they tied her to the pyre
six swans flew overhead
she threw the shirts into the air
in triumph after dread
six brothers and their sister fair
who knows where they have gone
some people dream of princesses
and memories of swans
dark sorcery it was laid bare
her voice the story told
on queenly wrist shackles appeared
not bracelets of gold
six brothers and their sister fair
who knows where they have gone
some people dream of princesses
and memories of swans 
James
