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High Broad Field (2006)

by Sieben

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1.
Millennia 04:23
Millennia THE HILL He had slept for a thousand years; the world rolled on its axis, oiled by blood and tears. His cloak a thousand seasons brown; that face a thousand winters, summers gone. He kept faith in high broad prayers; firmed and reaffirmed, moss, root, leaves layered. Mulched deep in the mound, a seed for my ground; That icy face ten thousand winters bound. He cut his teeth on gritstone moor; rode the rough seasons, stored faith in the soil. THE HILL & SQUIRE His cloak a thousand seasons brown; that face a thousand winters, summers gone. THE HILL He had slept for a thousand years; warmed the world burns frozen in greed. THE HILL & SQUIRE His cloak a thousand seasons brown; that icy face a thousand winters called to arms— KNIGHT & SQUIRE Called to arms! Called to arms! THE HILL & SQUIRE Called to arms! Called to arms!
2.
Love Must Wax Cold KNIGHT Love must wax cold. SQUIRE Now, Jesus that weareth the crown of thorns—bring us all to heaven’s bliss. [spoken] KNIGHT The rain falls from heaven’s face. KNIGHT & SQUIRE Dight for the night. SQUIRE Across the fields, the unlit church. KNIGHT & SQUIRE Love must wax cold. KNIGHT On distant hills their torchlines gleed. SQUIRE What rough beast of Bethlehem spurned? KNIGHT A thousand years since last I died. KNIGHT & SQUIRE Love must wax cold. KNIGHT Then the Order’s even tenor rent KNIGHT & SQUIRE by their transgressions. Millennial flames belched from heaven’s face; To cast off an old age. KNIGHT Their flocks from Salvation lost; KNIGHT & SQUIRE Man, root and branch did fall into ruin. The very world had shaken herself to cast off an old age. KNIGHT And a thousand more since His crown of thorns KNIGHT & SQUIRE joined the affray. His end, nailed on a high broad field—Prepare for the night. Lucifer fell to earth on a wave of fire; love must wax cold. Iwis spewed from God’s earth was I. Prepare for the night.
3.
Easy Prey 05:02
Easy Prey THE HILL He stumbled clodded earth suckled feet in sodden ground, staggered the cobbled path to the churchyard. Steel drawn, a cloak of leaves he dragged in clay, down to the stile, dight primed for the fray. Safe inside, or so he thought, no haven here—Nothingness and dread, reborn to a godless field. And the church cat, sat on Reverend Loxley’s grave— CAT I’d just as soon warm my balls by a burning church as by the gates of Hell. I’m not complaining—the churchyard’s fair enough to catch a rat or two. CAT & THE HILL Easy prey! CAT To maul the weak, hunt the tame, just for fun I’ll take the lame. That old bastard Loxley said, “God will provide” but wasn’t there to do the hunting down. CAT & THE HILL At least he had a hellfire God—Keen to smite, quick to pounce, black and white and eye-for-eye! At least he had a hellfire God—Keen to smite, quick to pounce, black and white and eye-for-eye! Nature Reigns CAT I’m not complaining—tooth-for-tooth better than the twat that claims to own me now. CAT & THE HILL Easy prey— CAT Looks to heaven, sees no sky, his shiftless God, His half-a-job. That old bastard, His mealy test. Sits impotent and the world falls to ruin. That old bastard who let there be light—Kicked us out to bitter dark unknown of night. CAT & THE HILL Easy prey— CAT Live for now, fuck how, repent, saved, die, leave the mess behind! CAT & THE HILL At least he had a hellfire God—Keen to smite, quick to pounce, black and white and eye-for-eye! At least he had a hellfire God—Keen to smite, quick to pounce, black and white and eye-for-eye!
4.
THE HILL And up to the hills bale ay beeting, as Abraham God sent. To take Isaac unto the hills for his sacrifice to spend. And he prayed to the hills full sorrowful, as Abraham bent before God. KNIGHT That my sword in whose neck shall bite? My heart it knows not. THE HILL & THE LAMB Nature will balance her books THE HILL as sure as rain. THE HILL, CAT & THE LAMB Nature will balance her books. CAT & THE LAMB Nature will reign. THE HILL And he accounted his pain, loss and woe—As with Abraham cruel tested. KNIGHT To take this child into the night—In what faith have I invested? THE HILL, CAT & THE LAMB Nature will balance her books, THE HILL & CAT spewed from the earth were you! THE HILL, CAT & THE LAMB Nature will balance her books, THE HILL & CAT hear the moor sing:
5.
The Moor’s Runes THE LAMB & THE HILL ab, eb, ib, ob, be, bo, bi, ba THE MOOR ab tells the moor’s thigh black boulder muscled whose flex is seasons. eb tells the vault's tears whose fall from no face speaks heaven's absence. ib tells blood whose curdle at the sun’s bandage grows the bones’ wound. ob tells the moor’s eye whose always staring forbids the sun’s escape. ub tells flesh whose wound by the sun’s sickle begets blood’s boroughs. bu tells the moor’s thought whose substance no substance whose icon is wind. bo tells night’s ball, earth’s soul whose silver scar in void is skin’s lost search. bi tells day’s ball, earth’s rod erect whose muscle plunge and spurt bays increase. be tells the bones’ hydraulic palace and prison whose prism is pain. ba tells the cipher name whose wound and sound unsayable— THE EARTH fuels the stars. Fuels the stars. Fuels the stars. Fuels the stars. Fuels the stars.
6.
Lucifer On The Moor KNIGHT I bid in my blessing—ye angels give light to the world, for it faded when the fiends fell. CAT And in the seventh year before the first millennium Vesuvius belched forth a multitude of vast stones and sulphurous flames. All of Italy and Gaul ravaged by flames of fire that licked the carpenter’s work. A horrible plague raged among men. They made their food of unclean beasts and creeping things, but even of men’s, women’s, and children’s flesh, without regard even of kindred. [Lucifer appears before the knight] LUCIFER God, as a woman, will wreak her revenge; will iron out her flaws in you, will rub you out. Nature, as a man— bleak as a moor. Dumb-dog turn as the wind from you, will blot you out. I can give you the earth. At least offer you your share; what you desire, so shall I speak. And so it shall be. Nature, as a woman flashing wears of flesh; honeysuckle tendril ties to you, pulls to reel herself in. God, as a man, primed desperate to implant a stark song and image you believe in your heart. I can give you the earth. At least promise you your share; what you desire, so shall I speak. And so it shall seem to be. I, like a woman, seduce you to the fold. Cast down sacraments! Take your pleasure with my charms to hold you, like a man thrust to top the world. I can give you this, your broadest field, with the stroke of a pen. I can give you the earth. Even offer you more than your share; what you desire, so shall I speak. And you shall be mine. I can give you the earth. Even promise you more than your share; what you desire, so shall I speak. And you shall be mine. [The knight heads back down to the church, Lucifer shouting after him]
7.
And He Shall Rule LUCIFER And he shall rule. And he shall rule! And he shall rule on a wave of fire, his blood oil to boil the seas. And he shall rule as a searing sun, the tide lapping at the bottom field. His warp and weft will transgress nature on a godless earth, his scrum of flesh. And he shall strip our heart, our soul—to take his fill and fuck the rest. KNIGHT [kneels among the gravestones] That I pray that you might answer me. That I pray you might reply. That I pray that you might answer me. CAT Speaks heaven’s absence. [hid behind a grave with Lucifer] KNIGHT Thrust onto this earth I know not why. CAT Speaks heaven’s absence. KNIGHT Cut from the gyre I fly into the wind. CAT Speaks heaven’s absence. KNIGHT below a high broad field, below a searing sun. CAT Speaks heaven’s absence. KNIGHT That the seed will shoot and germ? CAT Speaks heaven’s absence. KNIGHT In the season’s tumble churn? CAT Speaks heaven’s absence. KNIGHT That we rise and fall to ground? CAT Speaks heaven’s absence. KNIGHT That losel, man, bound in greed CAT & LUCIFER speaks heaven’s absence. KNIGHT That the seed will shoot and germ? CAT Speaks heaven’s absence. KNIGHT In the season’s tumble churn? CAT Speaks heaven’s absence. KNIGHT That we rise and fall to ground? CAT Speaks heaven’s absence.
8.
The Flood 04:48
The Flood KNIGHT That losel, man, bound in greed CAT & KNIGHT speaks heaven’s absence. KNIGHT Come the flood. Come the flood! [God appears] GOD I, God, the world have wrought, Heaven and Earth and all of nought. Praise me! KNIGHT Ah, great God that art so good. GOD That made you! KNIGHT That made me— GOD & KNIGHT that works not thy will is wood. Raise me! KNIGHT Now all the world will be a flood. GOD Serve me! KNIGHT Your bidding to do, as flotsam would. GOD I, God, the world have taught, at my whim shall come to nought. Praise me! KNIGHT That dropped the devil spitting fire. GOD That made you! KNIGHT That made me— GOD & KNIGHT And him too, cast him down to us. Raise me! KNIGHT From an icy sleep to a searing sun. GOD & KNIGHT Serve me! KNIGHT Your meal and miserable test! GOD I, God, the world have taught, at my whim shall come to nought. Praise me! KNIGHT Holding a candle to the dark? GOD That made you! KNIGHT That made me— GOD & KNIGHT Spewed from the earth was I. Raise me! KNIGHT Above the flashing wears of flesh. KNIGHT GOD [together] Serve me! KNIGHT Save me! KNIGHT Woe for the land our lord a child. GOD I, God, the world have wrought, Heaven and Earth and all of nought. I, God, the world have wrought, Heaven and Earth and all of nought. I, God, the world have taught, at my whim shall come to nought. KNIGHT Come the flood. Come the flood!
9.
Down Into The Earth SQUIRE From man’s sight hide me—whither may I go? I am wounden as a wretch in woe and cursed of God for our falsage. And it shall be with the people, so with the priest. The sow that was washed returning to the mire, like the dog returning to its own vomit. Woe to you, oh land, when your king is a child! KNIGHT If goodness is this sexless, sterile, weak and vexless, ascension not intervention, ruled but not judged. Never a count or a score ‘til the final random draw. KNIGHT & SQUIRE I’ll lead you down, down, down. I’ll lead you down, down, down. KNIGHT If heaven harbours all this charm, the sparkless eyes, the limp wrist and arm. To embrace but not to grip, to beg but call it pray—meekly contesting at heaven’s gate. KNIGHT & SQUIRE I’ll lead you down, down, down. I’ll lead you down, down, down. KNIGHT, SQUIRE & THE HILL Let’s go down, down, down. Let’s go down, down, down.
10.
Earth's Song 03:59
Earth’s Song THE EARTH In the flex of seasons bound, we will rise and fall to ground. THE EARTH & THE HILL I will hold you. THE EARTH Forever. Forever. In the season’s tumble churn, we, the seed, will shoot and germ. THE EARTH & THE HILL I will sustain you. THE EARTH Forever. Forever. Though the Order’s even tenor rent, we, corn in wind, bowed not bent. THE EARTH & THE HILL I will shield you. THE EARTH Forever. Forever. On high pastures, fair to yield, our full harvest, our high broad field. THE EARTH & THE HILL I will love you. THE EARTH Forever. Forever. Forever. Forever.
11.
The Oncoming Storm KNIGHT I know now what I am. The oncoming storm. THE LAMB & THE HILL I will not bleat eternal life—I’m for the chopping block. I will not sing world without end—a bay of dew our mark. KNIGHT I know now what I am—in tides that swell. The oncoming storm—the levelling winds. I know now what I am—in rising seas. The oncoming storm—the land unhinged. I know now what I am—the loosening gyre. The oncoming storm—man’s grip unhooked. I know now what I am—in nature’s hand. The oncoming storm—balancing the books. I know now what I am—a searing sun. The oncoming storm—of a thousand years. Of a thousand years.
12.
A High Broad Field THE HILL Here’s how my song should end: That the seed will shoot and germ in the season tumble churn. That we rise and that we yield to tend a high broad field. KNIGHT & CAT And every flower will bear a fruit. And every seed will plunge a root. KNIGHT & THE LAMB On this high broad field. CAT & THE LAMB On this high broad field. THE HILL His cloak a thousand seasons green, from a thousand winters freed. In the flex of seasons bound, strive to rise, cherish the land. KNIGHT, SQUIRE, THE LAMB & CAT And every flower will bear a fruit. And every seed will plunge a root. On this high broad field. On this high broad field. And every flower will bear a fruit. And every seed will plunge a root. On this high broad field. On this high broad field.

about

High Broad Field was originally released through Iceflower/Trisol (Tri 279) in 2006. It came as a double digipack CD and DVD, a film by João Paulo Simões to accompany the High Broad Field music. The album was conceived along the lines of The York Mystery Cycle (York Corpus Christi) plays. Running with a narrative throughout, it made for an interesting puzzle to fit into twelve distinct songs and one album.

The 'bonus items' contain two never-aired mixes, one an instrumental of Earth's Song, the other a different mix of Millennia. Finally, two mixes from 2009's As they Should Sound album, Redroom 005), the re-recorded and updated Love Must Wax Cold and Lucifer tracks.

credits

released January 1, 2006

All tracks were written, performed and produced by Matt Howden at Redroom studio, Sheffield, England. (Except The Moor's Runes words, taken from the poem 'Runes' by Keith Howden).

Huge thanks go to April Howden, Lloyd James and Neil McSweeney for their vocal contributions, and Jason White for cajon throughout. Sleeve design by Martin Bedford.

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Sieben Sheffield, UK

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