Dr. Amy H. Sturgis
Glass Hammer's 2005 double album The Inconsolable Secret is a fantasy lover's...well, fantasy. Imagine an epic work built on the foundation of Alfred, Lord Tennyson's "The Lady of Shallott," incorporating liberal amounts of J.R.R. Tolkien (including Elvish) and Lord Dunsany (The King of Elfland's Daughter, anyone?), and drawing inspiration (and its name) from a quote by C.S. Lewis. This sounds too good to be true, but it accurately describes Glass Hammer's remarkable achievement. Added to band founders Steve Babb and Fred Schendel are drummer Matt Mendians and lead vocalists Susie Bogdanowicz and Walter Moore. Additional vocals are supplied by Sarah Snyder, Bethany Warren, Flo Paris, and Laura Lindstrom, and additional guitar by Eric Parker and David Carter.
The result is the most complex and skilled of Glass Hammer's albums, a work already labeled a masterpiece by critics and fans alike. Of particular note is the combination of songs "Lirazel," "The High Place," and "Morrigan's Song," which literally transport the listeners into another realm and makes of them true believers.
I highly recommend The Inconsolable Secret. But be warned: this is neither a light "feel good" album nor a casual listen for an afternoon of multitasking. The album requires an attentive mind and open heart. If allowed, The Inconsolable Secret, like other great works of fantasy, will change you. As reviewer E.B. Cunningham recently noted, "This is no children's story, no pop album. This is a work of art."
Amy H. Sturgis
I recently had the great pleasure of talking to Glass Hammer's Steve Babb about The Inconsolable Secret and other related projects. Here is the result of our conversation.
Steve: The Inconsolable Secret is the biggest thing we ever attempted on a number of levels. I am even fairly certain it is the most ambitious prog album ever made, certainly among the 'new-wave' of groups to emerge since the 90's.
Most noticeably, we scored much of the music for orchestra and choir. The choir often sings counterpoint melodies in Latin and in Tolkien's Elvish. There are reasons we dabbled in languages other than English, most of that had to do with the mood we were trying to set. Of course bands have used orchestras and choirs before, but usually as an afterthought - Metallica for instance. And usually a real conductor is brought in to do the score. The Inconsolable Secret was actually written to include the symphonic elements from the beginning, and it was scored by Fred and myself. I am not bragging - I'm just trying to show how much work and thought went into this, and why it is going to stand out among other albums.
Beyond that, it's a double album and our first attempt at that. And there is the epic poetry,
"The Lay of Lirazel," a 19,000 word poem that I wrote just for the album, and upon which the album's story is based. Add 3,000 more words for the lyrics, and you can begin to see what a labor this was. Suffice it to say, we tried to outdo ourselves, and further hoped that all other prog bands would simply bow their heads in shame; acknowledging us once and for all as the undisputed masters of the genre! Okay, I am kidding. But as one of our GH Forum members says in his forum signature:
Amy.:Your new double album takes its title from a quote from C.S. Lewis: "I am trying rip open the inconsolable secret in each one of you--- the secret which hurts so much that you take your revenge on it by calling it names like Nostalgia and Romanticism and Adolescence..." ( C.S. Lewis, "Transposition and other Addresses" ch. 2 / The Weight of Glory) What does this mean to you? How does it relate to your new work?
Steve: It all has much to do with the idea expressed by Tolkien and Lewis (and others) that the world's great myths often reflect the world's greatest myth - the one that came true. They're referring to the story of man's fall into darkness, and his ultimate reconciliation with the Creator through Christ.
I can see God's story planted firmly in tales like The Lord of the Rings and of course allegory like Narnia. But if you look closely, you can see it in everything from Braveheart to Beowulf. If God wishes to speak, He will do so. Whether you choose to hear him is entirely up to you of course. That's how He works. (Though Jonah might have disagreed!)
I read the poem, "The Lady of Shallot" by Tennyson, and began to contemplate writing a song about her. I am not the first to do so. I was staring at the painting and thinking about the poem when it hit just hit me like a ton of bricks. The entire story of "The Lay of Lirazel" was born in the next few minutes. I saw 'the greatest myth' buried in the maiden's story, and saw a way that I might relate it to others, wrapping it up and hiding it in a fairy tale of my own.
I really only kept the props and the basic setting of Tennyson's poem, a tower, a curse, a maiden, a boat, a hero, etc. Camelot was replaced, other characters were born. It all grew very large and very 'epic,' and it did so quickly.
The quote by Lewis puts it in perspective for me. I think God speaks to many of us through literature, through art, through music, and even through movies. You get a rush when you see a certain battle-scene in your favorite war movie, you start to cry when your favorite song hits the last big chorus and modulates; the hero wins the day in your favorite fantasy novel and deep inside you cheer him on ---you have felt this before.
Happy endings, heroes victorious, maidens rescued, battles won, dragons slain, friends lost, deep sadness, longing, joy -- just ask yourself, what are these things trying to tell you? Is someone or something knocking at the door of your heart? Is someone calling you home? Do you read something like The Lord of the Rings and wish it were all true? Does your heart long for a battle to fight, do you wish to do great deeds and serve a noble king? Do you really think it’s just a fantasy tale, wishful thinking? Tolkien didn't! And neither do I. Those feelings are too powerful, they are 'inconsolable', and until you take the time to find out what they mean -- well, they are kept 'secret' from you.
As for The Lady of Shallot, here is what I saw. A lady forced by a curse to see life through a mirror -- if she looked away she would die. But enter the hero, armor shining! She catches just a glimpse in the mirror and her heart is broken -- she must look.
I am sure that Tennyson never intended it, but the 'great' myth is there. There's a verse in the Bible, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." The maiden and her mirror, enduring her curse --- just like mankind. And just like the human race, she is in sore need of a hero, but needing to 'die' in order to be truly free. Ah, the secret is revealed. Amy.:The music of The Inconsolable Secret seems to act like a soundtrack to your epic poem "The Lay of Lirazel." Would you agree? Which came first? What led you to turn to the medium of poetry to tell your story? What literary influences inspired you in your composition? Do you foresee writing more in the future?
Steve: Fred and I both wished to make this album a soundtrack. The question was, a soundtrack to what? When I presented him the idea of the poem, he took the bait and we got to work. I wrote the song "Lirazel" before that happened, and Fred had even written much of the music of "The Knight of the North" as well.
Shortly after though, the poem and the story began to drive the music. We usually work the opposite direction -- music first, then the story and lyrics. This time, we treated the project like a film, and grabbed the most musical portions of the poem, and made those into songs and scores. I actually ended up finishing the lyrics before the poem was done. The lyrics unexpectedly took over and helped me with a few details of the poem.
But as you can imagine, the Lay took months to write. I spent a couple of hours a day, several days a week, writing and rewriting. I am told by some that the time was well spent. I imagine I have put a few others to sleep but they have been too kind to admit it!
As for the inspiration to do this? An ancient myth inspired an Arthurian legend which inspired a poem, which in turn inspired painters, which in turn inspired my poem which then begat this album. The very idea is built upon a history of inspiration spanning hundreds if not thousands of years!
I have always loved epic poetry, and always wished to pen an epic myself. Most recently I dove into The Silmarillion, and then, The Lays of Beleriand -- all upon the insistence of a long-time Glass Hammer fan. Tolkien's style of songwriting and poetry has always interested me, and I wanted to try my hand at it. And, I knew it would never happen without some sort of official deadline in place. Announcing The Inconsolable Secret and "The Lay of Lirazel" to the public last winter meant that it had to be done. It was just the kind of pressure I needed in order to really attempt something big.
Beyond Tolkien, there is always Lewis as an inspiration. Also, I am very much into George MacDonald these days. Lord Dunsany and even E. R. Eddison play a big part. The paintings of the pre-Raphaelites and their followers like John W. Waterhouse also served to inspire our new album.
Will I do it again? Truthfully, what I began with "The Lay of Lirazel" will not leave my mind at the moment. When you dive into something like that, and write a poem that is that huge, you just don't let it go overnight. I can see the story and a number of others subplots playing out in my head every time I close my eyes! I am probably just a bit crazy for ever wanting to write it, and even crazier now that I have actually done it.
I am already several thousand words into the novel version. If successfully completed, it will go far beyond the story of the Lay. I'm not putting any pressure on myself just yet, but maybe we can do some sort of 'official announcement' in a few months and turn up the pressure just a bit! Amy.: With such an achievement newly under your belt, what can fans expect next from you?
Steve: Currently under construction (as the saying goes) is a website called Reclaim the Music. This is something I have recently begun and it could well be the most ambitious project we've undertaken here at the studio. Reclaim The Music is a movement to reform and reclaim Christian music from what I call the CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) mindset. That is the mindset established and manipulated by a handful of music executives in Nashville who are controlled by non-Christian corporations. The CCM industry is after a profit and uses slick marketing to get it. Reclaim The Music will challenge young musicians and writers to free themselves of this 'Christian pop and rock star' racket, and seek their inspiration from other sources.
Christian music, or much of it, has become a cheap imitation of pop music. The philosophy behind Reclaim The Music suggests that Christian music should be leading the crowd -- not following it; setting trends -- not emulating them.
We are scheduled to present a program at the " 'Past Watchful Dragons':: Fantasy and Faith in the World of C.S. Lewis" conference in Nashville on November 5th. Click here for details and ticketing information. Glass Hammer will be the featured entertainment that day, with Salem Hill as our opening act. Music fans can also see the Nashville Symphony and Choir performing The Lord of the Rings Symphony. It's a big day for us, and we have recently found out that nearly 120 singers from Belmont's music college will join us on stage to perform music from The Inconsolable Secret and Lex Rex. Rehearsals begin in just a few days for the band, so we will be very busy for the next few months.
Challenging the status quo, stirring up some controversy, setting ourselves an impossible task to complete - all to the sound of choirs, pipe organs and mini-moogs -- sounds like business as usual for Glass Hammer for the foreseeable future!
|
At the heart of The Inconsolable Secret is the 19,000 word poem "The Lay of Lirazel," found in the bonus contents of the second CD. This work takes many familiar fantasy ingredients and recombines them in a haunting original tale about Good, Evil, and Redemption. Through this work, author Steve Babb finds a way to bring new awe and poignancy to a timeless message. The music of two CDs --"The Knight" and "The Lady," respectively -- provide the soundtrack for the poem, underscoring key moments of romance, danger, and revelation. To create an otherworldly sound, Glass Hammer draws from an impressive breadth of styles, from high church and rustic folk music to progressive rock and classical traditions, and highlights some of its most soaring and powerful vocals to date.
It so happened that I have a painting of The Lady of Shallot by John W. Waterhouse hanging in our recording studio. There's a different painting of the same lady hanging in my dining room, and of course we never knew the two paintings were related until fairly recently. That's all part of the way this tale came together, lots of strange coincidences were at play.
