LET DORSET SHAKE

Let Dorset Shake is an album recorded by students on Bournemouth University’s Popular Music Foundation Degree.

The songs were inspired by PJ Harvey’s award winning 2011 record ‘Let England Shake’ and recorded at

Eype Centre for the Arts near Bridport, the same venue that Harvey chose to record her album.

Dorset’s landscape and history provided the setting and background for songwriting, with students researching stories and legends connected with the county.

80,000 GALLONS

ALFRED AND HUBBA

CLAUSTROPHOBIC SUN

KNOWLTON’S BELL

STEAM FAIR

 

80,000 GALLONS

A folk-influenced song about Dorset’s smuggling history. Driven by a finger-picked acoustic guitar riff and a choral work-song style vocal line, it takes influences from the works of Thomas Hardy and the life

of Isaac Gulliver.

Standing, grinning, skeleton smile Watching over distant isle

Where spray springs up like clouds of flour Roaring high in the perilous hours

From father to son, brother to brother

80,000 gallons from mainland to harbour

Along the bay and miles in land With tunnels stretching from town to town

Excise men come poking and knocking

To find, white-faced an open coffin Well-rehearsed wife stands weeping at the door

Misleading mourning, “Isaac is no more”

Vocals Becky Williams Backing Vocals The Chorus feat. Laura Richardson Acoustic Guitar Paul Wendlandt Electric Guitar Luke Holbrook Bass Guitar Robb Hiscock Drum Kit Jamie Craig Percussion Paul Stevenson Composed by Hannah Marshall

Paul Wendlandt

 

ALFRED AND HUBBA

The opening drum groove of this song evokes the atmosphere of the Viking sea battles, such as that which took place off the Purbeck coast between King Alfred and Hubba the Dane during the Anglo-Saxon

period.

Look at the state of our land Terror and pillage and flame

Blood has been shed on the sand At the mercy of the Danes

So let's all ride on the waves to tragedy

Lightning strikes as we sail to the enemy They all scream out as our swords bring them agony

This is our island you can't take that from me

Let's put an end to all this Forget all the travesty spoken

Strike a deal through a marriage Ensure it will never be broken

But this all ends in a swift termination This all ends in a swift termination

Vocals Harry Edelsten Backing Vocals The Chorus Acoustic Guitar Paul Wendlandt Electric Guitar Luke Holbrook Bass Guitar Robb Hiscock Drum Kit Jamie Craig Composed by Dan Wilson-Stone

 

 

CLAUSTROPHOBIC SUN

Claustrophobic Sun takes us on a sweeping journey through Dorset’s landscape and history, along the river Stour and over the hills and heathland.

Mesolithic hunters on the coastline of the isle Among the downland high chalk hills for miles Hilltop castles, Neolithic see the burial mounds

Heathland born into the ground

The River Stour flows and flowed from one day 'til the last Running before and after, the people of the past

Running through the vale all the way through the towns Breaking through the chalk ridge of the downs

Claustrophobic Sun

Burning Skin Dark Clouds

Commercial Sin

As the sun sets low and the moonlight glows The mark, the end of the day

The History sleeps, buried down deep Silently along the bay

Vocals Harry Edelsten and Rich Coveney Backing Vocals The Chorus Acoustic Guitar Paul Wendlandt Electric Guitar Luke Holbrook Keyboard Harry Edelsten Bass Guitar Robb Hiscock Drum Kit Jamie Craig Composed by Rich Coveney Harry Edelsten

 

 

KNOWLTON’S BELL

Folk tales and rhymes of demons and ghosts seen at Knowlton Church, thought to be the most haunted place in Dorset, inspire the lyrics and eerie melodies of Knowlton’s Bell. The ghostly chorus makes use of

an ancient rhyme about the church itself.

Names in sand washed away by Black Death sea Stones stick out like broken teeth

Bite at the heels of phantom horsemen The ageing face of a ghostly woman

Knowlton's Bell is stole

And thrown into the white mill hole And all the devils in Hell

Could never pull up Knowlton's Bell

Up where Knowlton's bell once hung Voices heard, mist swirled and spun By day filled with laughter and fun

By night the echoes of songs once sung

Vocals Becky Williams Backing Vocals The Chorus Acoustic Guitar Paul Wendlandt Electric Guitar Luke Holbrook Saxophone Jess Petter Bass Guitar Robb Hiscock Drum Kit Jamie Craig Composed by Robb Hiscock Hannah Marshall

 

STEAM FAIR

The Great Dorset Steam Fair provides the setting for this carnival waltz style track, which contrasts the friendly daytime atmosphere with the bawdy night time activities.

Bessie and James in red, green and gold Dance round and round, round and round, round and round

While steam organs croon can-can sounds

Heavy horses pulling their trains Laughing young children with sticky hands wave At the grey haired toothless gentlemen with cider

Late night babies clutch white lightning Watch their pot-bellied fathers fighting

Feel their harpy mothers shrieking Hear their slapped-up sisters groaning

Behind crane machines Thumping drums and LEDs

Vocals Becky Williams Backing Vocals The Chorus Acoustic Guitar Paul Wendlandt Electric Guitar Luke Holbrook Bass Guitar Robb Hiscock Drum Kit Jamie Craig Composed by Hannah Marshall Paul Wendlandt

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

LET DORSET SHAKE CHORUS PRODUCER Carina Bennett Paul Stevenson Rob Caple Cameron Cole Rich Coveney RECORDING AND PRODUCTION Harry Edelsten Kurt Fagan Hannah Marshall Dan Kelly Jess Petter Chris Scott Laura Richardson Will Webster Becky Williams Lewis Wicksteed Dan Wilson-Stone Sam Vaughan TOUR MANAGER Directed by Jenny Russell Rob Caple

SLEEVE DESIGN WEB DESIGN Cameron Cole Hannah Marshall Dan Wilson-Stone Paul Wendlandt Hannah Marshall Paul Wendlandt

PHOTOGRAPHY Cameron Cole FILM CREW Luke Holbrook Will Webster Rob Caple

SPECIAL THANKS

Rob Taylor Paul Stevenson Jenny Russell

Bournemouth University

Bournemouth and Poole College Eype Centre for the Arts