Bright Weavings: The Worlds of Guy Gavriel Kay - Music & Verse inspired by the books

In this section I have some new songs, not taken directly from GGK's worlds, but inspired by them. A couple have actually been recorded, one has musical notation, and the others have no music as such yet, only lyrics. I also have a beautiful poem inspired by Al-Rassan.

Come Lay Me Down - Tanyss Nixi

Canadian Tanyss Nixi has been a professional performing musician since she was 17 years old, and is planning to release an album this year. She wrote and recorded 'Come Lay Me Down' which was inspired by The Lions of Al-Rassan. She has very kindly agreed to me adding an mp3 of the song to the site. You can hear more of her music and find out more info about her at her page at MP3.com

Come Lay Me Down Lyrics

Ceinwen's Bow - Talis Kimberley

Talis Kimberley is another talented singer/songwriter who regularly tours Europe and America doing gigs, and has released a successful album 'Archetype Cafe'. She describes her sound as 'urban wardrobe.' Her song 'Ceinwen's Bow' is inspired by the goddess Ceinwen of Fionavar. It has been recorded in the past, but we don't have a recording available at the moment to put on the site. Talis does have plans to record it again soon, though, at which point we'll get a copy here! To find out more about Talis Kimberley and her music, visit her site Talis.net.

Lyrics to Ceinwen's Bow

A Song for Arbonne by Merav Hoffman

This song is inspired by Bertran and Lisseut, mostly. It has musical notation to go with the lyrics.

Lyrics | Lyrics with Notation

Fionavar filks by Joy Green

These don't yet have associated tunes, but when/if they do, I'll add the notation here. To see other filks by Joy Green, visit her site here.
Brightly-Woven Prince
Song of the Baelrath
Darien's Song
Defiance (Jennifer's Song)
Beacon (Kevin's Song)

Tigana (Instrumental) - Alex Hancock

Alex writes: "I have read Tigana several times, the first when I was just 16. I read it at our summer house on the beach in Spain and can remember forsaking the beautiful sands, laying on the bed and drinking in what would become my favourite book. The song as a whole was not written for a certain part of the book but more as a direct expression of the experience imparted by it. The writing began shortly after I read the prologue again, which reawakened the memory of the story. No tune was in my head when I started, but the main melody was quick to shape itself as I let my digits wander. The middle part of the song was as much as possible a direct reference to the tragic and bitter love between Dianora and the Ygrathen. Not being a composer, I had to develop it from past song playing experiences. I believe my musical inspirations for the song came mainly from these sources: Asturias by Albeniz, Paddington's Pound - an Elizabethan tune for the lute, and a previous song I had made for my girlfriend, Nickie."

Tigana (Instrumental)

The Summer Tree - Jes Perry

Jes Perry is a singer/songwriter from Boston whose first full length cd of original music is due out this autumn. One of the tunes on the cd is entitled 'The Summer Tree' and is based on some of the images in The Summer Tree and and also Marian Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon. Most of the images in the tune relate to Paul and Kevin's trials from The Summer Tree and the myths of the stag and the old pagan/celtic rituals that were invoked. Jes has her own website at http://www.jesperry.com with more information about her work and more samples of her music, but she has very generously said that she'd like this to be the exclusive place on the web where you can hear 'The Summer Tree.' So enjoy folks, because this is one talented musician we've got here!

The Summer Tree Lyrics

'Silvenes'

'Silvenes' is a poem sent in by William A. Bazzell, inspired, as will be clear, by The Lions of Al-Rassan and the beautiful cities that existed for a time, before their destruction in the fall of the khalifate.

Read Silvenes

'Ode to Fionavar'

'Ode to Fionavar' was penned by a regular denizen of the Bright Weavings forums, our very own Simon Fraser. He writes: "Upon completing my nth re-read of the Tapestry (lost count so long ago), I became unexpectedly caught in an upwelling of emotion when, near to the very end, I again read the description of the song given by Ra-Tenniel, Lord of the lios alfar, where he gave voice to "...the long tale of the war just past." I would love to have been able to hear such a stirring summary of the tale I had just read. Not being able to, I decided to pen a few words of my own in an attempt to express my appreciation of how the story still moves me after so long a time. "

Read Simon's Ode!