The music on this recording is inspired by Beowulf as translated by Seamus Heaney. In approaching the text for adaptation, Catherine set herself up with a cassette player and an old typewriter, and began to go through the book catching the phrases and passages that leapt forth. These excerpts, once accumulated, constituted the musical scores. Catherine and Brian's intention in working with this text was to treat it not in an academic or analytical manner, but rather in a way that confronts it face-to-face; they were interested in the magic of it and in the personal and collective journey of discovering that magic for themselves as expressed through their music.
1. death
2. dear as he was
3. so. the
4. rigged
5. hand-to-hand
6. brightly forged
7. ice clad
8. shadow
Catherine and Brian collectively in a 3rd person voice, Ireland and NYC, 2017
Releases July 13, 2018
Recorded on August 21st, 2016
at Strange Weather (Brooklyn, NY)
by Daniel Schlett
Mixed by Marc Urselli
Mastered by Tom Hamilton
All tracks composed by
Catherine Sikora and Brian Chase