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SHE
Tracklist:
CD1
Act 1 Overture; Scene 1: The Storm; The Veil; Covenant of Faith; Rescue; Scene 2: The Cave; The Bonding; Ambush; Scene 3: Judgement; History;
Scene 4: Confrontation; Vigil; Scene 5: Shadows.
CD2
Act 2 Scene 1: Fire Dance; Scene 2: Cursed; Closer; Disbelief; Murder; The Eleventh Hour; Scene 3: Resting Place; Sands of Time; Scene 4: Embrace The Fire; The
Night Before; Scene 5: Fire of Life.
LINEUP
The Singers:
Ayesha - Agnieszka Swita
Leo - Clive Nolan
Holly - Alan Reed
Ustane - Christina Booth
The Instrumentalists:
Guitars - Mark Westwood
Oboe - Alaster Bentley
Horn - Mark Kane
Cello - Hugh McDowell
Keyboards and orchestrations - Clive Nolan
Basses - John Jowitt
Drums and Percussion - Scott Higham
The Choir:
Anoushka Reynolds, Jamie Fletcher, Tina Riley, Penny Roberts, Siobhan Clarke, Agnieszka Swita, Pete Morton, Mark Westwood, Scott Higham, Clive Nolan, Daniel Holmes.
REVIEW
Since it's inception the main stated aim of Caamora has always been to work towards the completion of the musical work 'She', the release of which represents the culmination of two years hard work, and an even longer
held dream, for writer and lyricist Clive Nolan.
'She' is a musical adaptation of the Victorian novel of the same name by H. Rider Haggard, and is told through the four main characters - Holly (Alan Reed), Leo (Clive Nolan), Ustane (Christina Booth) and Ayesha
(Agnieszka Swita). Don't be tempted to think in terms of concept albums here, for this really is a musical masterpiece with the emphasis on the word musical.
The production is the type that one could easily imagine gracing the stages of London's West End.
In the original book a Cambridge professor Horace Holly and his ward Leo Vincey, following clues left behind by Leo's father, make a journey to Africa.
After suffering in a terrible storm which wrecks their ship they are washed ashore where they first encounter Ustane, who immediately forms a bond with Leo, and then the Queen Ayesha - 'She who must be obeyed'. Long ago Ayesha made herself immortal by bathing in a pillar of blue fire, and for the last 2000 years she has been waiting to be reunited with her lover Kallikrates, whom she had slain in a fit of jealous rage. She believes that Leo is the reincarnation of her lost love, and she kills Ustane through jealousy of her perceived relationship with Leo. In the final scenes of the novel she takes Leo and Holly to pillar of fire and tries to persuade Leo to bathe in the flame so they can be together forever. Leo is reluctant to do this and in order to encourage him she leads the way into the fire. Unexpectedly the second encounter with the sacred flames strips away the years she has been given and she withers and dies, but tells Leo she will return to find him once again.
The musical version follows pretty closely to the same story line, and though minor changes have been made to some of the plot elements, as is usually the case when adapting books for screen or stage, it nonetheless
remains faithful to the spirit of the original work.
The libretto is well thought out and clearly lays down the story, and all of the singers, each with their own unique qualities, do a fantastic job in bringing the tale to life. Multi part vocal tracks abound,
and the mix of vocal timbres set against a superb musical backdrop, create a truly magical effect that is really hard to fault on any level. It seems unfair to single out any one performance over and above the
others, but one inescapable fact is that it is hard to believe that this is Agnieszka Swita's first major release. Her performance throughout is very strong and has a very theatrical feel to it - a most
impressive debut!
From the opening chords of the 'Overture' to the closing moments of The 'Fire of Life' this work really is breathtaking in it's scope and delivery. The music ranges across the entire spectrum from majestic
highs with truly inspiring orchestration, to softer delicate sections that really move the listener on an emotional level.
The composition holds the attention magnificently from start to finish, but it should also be noted that many of the songs can be taken in their own right as standalone pieces.
Good examples of this are 'History' sung by Alan Reed, and 'Closer' which features Christina Booth on vocals - a voice which it's hard not to fall in love with.
While this production is at heart a musical, fans of progressive rock are going to love it too. One only has to look at the cast of singers and musicians to see that this work is something a little out of the
ordinary.
Before rounding up a quick word should be made regarding the packaging which is excellent - the lavish accompanying booklet comes not just with the full set of lyrics, but also artwork and additional notes which help
fill out the story line for those who may not be familiar with the original novel.
I admit that I have unashamedly been a fan of Clive Nolan's work for quite some time now, but in all honesty 'She' raises the game to a whole new level. Having witnessed the development of Caamora from their
first live show through to the first performance of 'She' in Katowice last year, I am more than impressed at how well things have turned out. 'She' is a work that should appeal to listeners of all age groups, and is
also an album that will stand the test of time - be warned though, it's also highly addictive and once you start to listen to it you're not going to want to stop!
Simon - 30th March 2008
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