John Fleagle - Worlds Bliss: Medieval Songs of Love and Death
The late, legendary performer John Fleagle brought 800-year-old poems to life with his contemporary vocal interpretation and his own reconstructions of the lute, gothic harp, and hurdy-gurdy. Worlds Bliss is a collection of several ancient tunes perfomed by Fleagle and Shira Kammen. From a fansite: “His uncanny voice, with its extraordinary range, brought vivid life to these ancient songs of love and death, magic and mysticism. He seemed to have stepped directly into this world from the 13th century, to walk lightly among us and, in his singing, to direct our attention to concerns and questions still unanswered at this brutally prosaic end of the millenium. He was a quiet, unassuming soul; his gifts were not marred by excessive ambition or ego. He was unique. There is simply no one who can replace him.”
Because Magnatune only provides links for streaming their MP3s (128kbps) via M3U playlists, I’ve provided direct file links below to all 15 MP3 files. If you like this music, please support the artist and buy the album in higher-quality files (including FLAC) or on CD.
I have enjoyed pretty much every album you’ve posted here, but I must say that this one is particularly wonderful. I never would have discovered it on my own! Thanks a lot and please keep up the great work.
Comment by Giordano Lahaderne — September 15, 2005 @ 10:48 pm
Thank you - this is amazing music.
Comment by Graham John Aspin — May 1, 2007 @ 11:03 pm
I’m looking for a cd about St. Brandon, sung by John Fleagle. Where can I find it?
Comment by Betty Heerdt — October 22, 2007 @ 8:14 am
This is a rare and beautiful album, whiuch I tried to order on Amazon, but the notation is “unavailable”. I have downloaded tracks but would love to know where I can get the CD.
Comment by Helen Compton — February 23, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
The album is available from Magnatune. Go here where you can either purchase a CD quality download or have an actual CD mailed to you. I have purchased a number of CDs from Magnatune and I highly recommend them.
Comment by Marvin — February 23, 2008 @ 4:55 pm