Wanderlust & Pixie Dust

She Moves Through The Fair

one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard is She Moves Through The Fair.  

Early piece of ephemera from my own collection.

I have heard many versions of this song over the years but this version by B-Tribe is by far one of my favorites.  Back in the days when I was a flight attendant and had to spend many a night in strange hotel room, I would listen to this song repeatedly to help myself fall asleep. Click below.

Alternately I would imagine the woman who comes to mind when I read the poem Patterns by Amy Lowell.  

My dress is richly figured,
And the train
Makes a pink and silver stain
On the gravel, and the thrift
Of the borders.
Just a plate of current fashion,
Tripping by in high-heeled, ribboned shoes.
Not a softness anywhere about me,
Only whalebone and brocade.
And I sink on a seat in the shade
Of a lime tree. For my passion
Wars against the stiff brocade.
The daffodils and squills
Flutter in the breeze
As they please.
And I weep;
For the lime-tree is in blossom
And one small flower has dropped upon my bosom.

In my minds eye I'd imagine someone like Marie Antoinette.

© François Halard, reprinted from Marie-Antoinette and the Last Garden at Versailles by Christian Duvernois, Rizzoli New York, 2008.

A friend or contemporary of hers perhaps, such as the Princesse de Lamballe.  Sadly and in a daze she would wander along a beautiful path.  Then I would once again pay close attention to the words of the song and remember that my lady shouldn't be quite so morose.  She would be happy and madly in love, content.

Pay special attention to the lyrics when you get to this part of the song:

As she stepped away from me
And she moved through the fair
And fondly I watched her
Move here and move there
And then she turned homeward
With one star awake
Like the swan in the evening
Moves over the lake

This is where I love to jump in and try to sing along.  If a miracle happens and I should one fine day find myself on stage on live tv with a voice like Hayley Westenra: I would choose to sing this song.

Invariably my mind would then wander to thoughts of who in the heck is singing this?  Next thing you know I'm thinking about old Rome and constrati.  I imagine someone like Farinelli singing She Moves Through The Fair.  The YouTube clip I've added below, from the '94 movei actually has the beautiful voice of  Phillipe Jaroussky added to it.  Click HERE here and you will discover a fascinating account of how the music was recreated for the movie.

I realize that this is an Irish folk song but my imagination is always getting the better of me. The versions of this song are endless.  With any luck, I will discover many more with time.

One version of the lyrics:

My young love said to me,
My mother won't mind
And my father won't slight you
For your lack of kind"
And she stepped away from me
And this she did say:
It will not be long, love,
Till our wedding day"

As she stepped away from me
And she moved through the fair
And fondly I watched her
Move here and move there
And then she turned homeward
With one star awake
Like the swan in the evening
Moves over the lake

The people were saying,
No two e'er were wed
But one had a sorrow
That never was said
And I smiled as she passed
With her goods and her gear,
And that was the last
That I saw of my dear.

Last night she came to me,
My dead love came in
So softly she came
That her feet made no din
As she laid her hand on me
And this she did say
It will not be long, love,
'Til our wedding day

Cathy and Heathcliff - My Immortal

via www.youtube.com

Beautiful song. Beautiful, sad love.

A Mid-19th Century Victorian Ball

It was in the ballroom that Victorian society was on its best behavior. Every thing there was regulated according to the strictest code of good-breeding, and as any departure from this code became a grave offense, it was indispensable that the etiquette of the ballroom was thoroughly mastered. The following hints on 19th century ballroom etiquette concentrate on the period from the 1840s to the mid-1860s.

via www.victoriana.com

This site is an excellent resource for fans of Victoriana. You name it, it's probably here.

Fuschias 8th Century Dress Project

So last friday at 1600 h I turned in that soul eating degree thesis… Since then I’ve been re-building my soul, by sewing of course!    I’ve taken upp the pet-en-l’air again (I’m working on several parts of the outfit at the same time). I have now finished what I have dreaded for a long time – fitting the front opening. This was however necessary to be able to continue with other parts of the piece, like trimming. I feel sooo close to finishing now, I can taste it (kinda tastes like wild strawberries ;P).    And that’s kinda it… For now… Today I think I’ll make the sleeves a weeeee bit longer, to see how I should distribute the little fabric that’s left for trimming and stuff. =)

via fuchsias18thcdress.wordpress.com

Wonderful blog about the trials & tribs of creating and wearing 18th century dress.

Victorian Embroidered Silk Fan

This beautiful hand embellished Victorian fan is interesting to me.

I discovered it at a flea market in northern California about 15 years ago for a whole quarter.  Sadly it's damaged and missing a few pieces but I don't really mind all that much. 

This is a fairly large fan of beautiful black and fine light blue silk.  I'm no expert on fans but I'm guessing it to be from the 1870's.  Maybe? 

It's really quite beautiful.  And so very old.  One can only imagine the world that it was created in, who carried it, what she wore...

 

Arundel Castle

Years ago I traveled to England.  On two separate occasions I hoped to tour Arundel Castle  only to find that it was the wrong time of the year, that it was closed or in the midst of repairs.  I think I mentioned this before in a previous post but a recent visit to the blog Paris Parfait brought it back to mind.  

I was thrilled to find that Tara had added a wonderful post on Arundel Castle.  Through Castle Views I finally had the opportunity to peek inside and now you can too.  Come. Follow me...