There’s wonderful news from British composer Emily Hall who is releasing the live recordings of Life Cycle, the song cycle she wrote in 2010 with writer Toby Litt. Reflecting on the theme of motherhood and drawing from collective experiences, including Hall’s own one as a mother, her song cycle narrates the story of a couple who first have a stillborn child but end up conceiving again and becoming parents. Presented trough the eyes of the woman, the story addresses and encompasses the different emotions and stages of a mother’s journey. In Life Cycle, and as the press release describes, “exquisitely simple melodies and hard-edged lyrics bring to life the anxiety and impatience of pregnancy; the shadow of loss; the joy of birth; sleep deprivation and the wonder of watching a baby grow”.

To get you enticed for the release of Life Cycle, listen to the gorgeous and poignant ‘I Am Alone’ below.

To coincide with International Women’s Day, Life Cycle is out on March 8th through Bedroom Community.

Accomplished British composer Emily Hall is no stranger to the classical music world, having written for several ensembles and orchestras, including the London Sinfonietta, LSO, the Brodsky Quartet, Opera North, and the Hungarian Radio Choir, to name but a few. Hall has also a number of work and collaborations under her belt that go beyond the classical spectrum, namely with Oliver Coates, Mara Carlye, Mira Calix, Olivia Chaney, Lady Maisery, and David Sheppard.
Today she is releasing Folie à Deux, a concept album/opera commissioned by the Mahogany Opera Group. which Hall co-wrote with Icelandic author Sjon. Translating from French as ‘the folly of two’, which refers to a shared psychotic disorder, the album is described as “a sonic voyage into a shared psychosis where a delusion is transmitted from one person to another and is a lyrical and intense investigation into love and loneliness within a relationship”.
Folie à Deux was written for two singers, Swedish vocalist Sofia Jernberg and British tenor Allan Clayton, and it also features a specially created electro-magnetic harp, designed and built by David Sheppard and Jonathan Green. The album was mixed by Valgeir Sigurðsson in Reykjavík and co-produced by Valgeir.
Here’s a taste from the album, the majestic ‘mantra’. Head over to Emily Hall’s bandcamp straight after to buy/stream the whole album.

Folie à Deux is out now via Bedroom Community.