Haunting, beautiful and moving: a musical story reflecting on the four seasons in the life of a small child.
Seaside visits in summer, the colours of autumn, gumboots & raincoats in winter and wonder in the new life of spring.
Lush & rich string quartet and piano combine to offer a distinctive arrangement.
Dual vocals of Edward De Simone, with his velvet-like falsetto, and Jo Steel.
The story behind the song
During the 2020 lockdown, musicians everywhere were creating beautiful music and sharing it in lounge rooms worldwide. One such performance by Solem Quartet, of a traditional Scottish folk tune ‘Ca' the Yowes’, found its way to Jo Steel’s home.
Simple, yet hauntingly beautiful, Jo was drawn to the tune and wanted to bring this piece to an Australian audience.
Jo took this exquisite melody and and created a new lyrical concept, exploring the four seasons as they touch the life of a small child. For many of us in 2020 the year brought seasons of varying emotion into our lives: fear, despair and loss; relief and repair; joy and optimism, with the hope of new beginnings.
Seasons’ Child is rich and emotive, offering a moment to pause and reflect on a whole year: each verse has its own personality highlighting the four seasons.
Creating contrast with key changes, and using dual vocals of Jo Steel and Edward De Simone, with his velvet-like falsetto, Seasons’ Child is deep in musical ideas, storytelling, and childhood experience.
Jo Steel and Misha Mullov-Abbado decided to draw heavily on the beauty of the string quartet, creating tensions and textures that rise and fall, matching the change of season. A superb touch from the piano speaks of gently falling leaves, and the dark short days of winter.
The final verse, with a little melancholy, is a moment of reflection for parents to look back on the year, and how much their child has grown. And what a year that was (2020)!
lyrics
Lyrics
Summer child, free to play
Golden sunshine, longest day
Seaside visits, toes in sand
Warm days of summer
Autumn child, gentle breeze
Cooler mornings, sunset bright
Falling leaves, where small feet run
Colours of autumn
Winter child, warm coat on
Gumboots, puddles, pouring rain
Shortest day and longest night
Cold days of winter
Springtime child, all a-bloom
Future hope and promises
Wonderment in all things new
Beauty in spring time
Dreams come true, day by day
How you’ve grown, another year
Summer, autumn, winter, spring
My love for you, grows deeper
credits
from Watermelon Jazz,
released October 1, 2021
Lyrics by Jo Steel
Music: tune of Scottish folk song 'Ca’ the Yowes'
Arrangement: Misha Mullov-Abbado
Vocals: Edward De Simone & Jo Steel
Piano: Liam Dunachie
Violin: Bridget O’Donnell
Cello Deni Teo
Double Bass: Misha Mullov-Abbado
Drums: Scott Chapman
Co-produced by Jo Steel and Misha Mullov-Abbado
Edited and mixed by Misha Mullov-Abbado
Mastered by Donal Whelan at Hafod Mastering, Wales
Vocals recorded by Josh Wermut at XO Studios, Sydney
All instruments recorded & engineered by Misha Mullov-Abbado, London
Album artwork by Katherine Hall at Design & Opinion, Sydney
Jo Steel has combined her love of work as an early childhood educator and musician to
develop Ukubebe
Music: a specialist early
childhood music program in Sydney. Jo's dream is that her second album Watermelon Jazz, will touch the lives of families with young children: that they will sing, dance, be uplifted and inspired in a shared love of fabulous music and the great sounds of jazz....more
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