Mediæval Bæbes

Mediæval Bæbes are an English female ensemble founded by Katharine Blake in London in 1996. The group is active from 1996 to the present and the line-up changes from album to album, usually ranging from six to twelve members. Members and past members include Dorothy Carter, Teresa Casella, Katharine Blake, Maple Bee, Audrey Evans, Sophie Evans, Marie Findley, Nicole Frobusch, Ruth Galloway, Emily Ovenden, Claire Rabbit, Claire Ravel, Cylindra Sapphire, Kavus Torabi, Rachel Van Asch and Karen Lupton.

Style and repertoire

The group performs folk and medieval music, with a strong emphasis on medieval songs and poetry set to music. Blake arranges much of the material for the ensemble, alongside original compositions. Their performances use vocals backed by medieval instruments such as recorder and cittern, played by the singers or accompanying musicians.

Their singing covers a wide range of languages, including Latin, Middle English, French, Italian, Russian, Middle High German, Welsh, Irish Gaelic, modern English, Swedish and Cornish. Their sound combines traditional material with modern influence rather than aiming for strictly authentic medieval performance.

Releases

The debut album, Salva Nos, appears in 1997 and reaches No. 2 in the classical charts, earning a silver disc. Later albums include Worldes Blysse, which goes to No. 1, Undrentide, co-produced by John Cale, The Rose and the Christmas-themed Mistletoe & Wine. Mirabilis appears in 2005 and is launched at a concert and party in London.

A self-titled DVD appears in 2006, followed by a live album later that year, which includes two bonus studio tracks. Illumination is issued through the band’s website and also appears in a regular edition with additional bonus material.

Notable details

John Cale adds saxophone and electric guitar to some arrangements on Undrentide, while later releases return to more traditional instrumentation. The group’s versions range from very traditional material, such as their reading of The Coventry Carol, to songs that are written in a modern style but presented with a traditional feel, including Summerisle, which is associated with Robin Hardy’s 1973 film Wicker Man.

Dorothy Carter, one of the founding musicians, plays autoharp, hurdy-gurdy and dulcimer with the group, and sings lead on So Spricht Das Leben and L’Amour de Moi. Emily Ovenden is the daughter of artist Graham Ovenden.