Christabel Released by Ralph Hoyte

Samuel Taylor Coleridge never completed his Gothic ballad, Christabel. After starting it in the Quantock Hills of Somerset at the turn of the 18th century, he completed only 2 parts (and 'a conclusion'), leaving poor Christabel languishing in limbo for over 200 years up to now.

I am a Bristol-UK based poet and writer specializing in long 'walk-poems', epics and sagas. During a residency with the Quantocks AONB sometime back now, I felt called to rescue Christabel by completing Coleridge's original work. I have called my completion 'Christabel Released'. Christabel Released is a true epic ballad of nearly 3 hours in total (with added soundtrack). It starts with Coleridge's extant ballad and then allows the protagonists to work through their own fates.

Christabel Released is, I hope, 'in a Coleridgean voice' and is written in homage to Coleridge and the Golden Triangle of Coleridge, William and Dorothy Wordsworth who created 'Romantic poetry' ('the poetry of nature, of the sublime') in the closing years of the 18th century in the Quantock Hills of Somerset. ChristabelReleased was premiered at a weekend performance by me at the suitably Gothic Halsway Manor in the Quantocks to the accompaniment of an 18th century banquet, music of the period and by candlelight with guests staying over the weekend.

I am now endeavouring to make Christabel Released better known and more widely available. RIP STC, Sarah Coleridge, William and Dorothy Wordsworth (Ralph Hoyte, poet 2019/Bristol/UK)

I am especially grateful to Phill Phelps who recorded the work and helped me with the post-production, and to the Freesound and other artists who either offered their sfx free to use, or with attribution (see 'album credits')

Tracklist

1.	In The Midnight Wood	8:33

2.	Geraldine	14:33

3.	Christabel Is Wildered	9:29

4.	Bracy Is Sent On A Mission	14:06

5.	Tryermaine Castle	8:30

6.	Christabel's Mind Is Mazed	8:49

7.	Bracy's Fate	9:54

8.	Christabel's Dream	4:55

9.	Sir Roland De Vaux	10:01

10.	A Promenade	8:30

11.	Mother Mild	9:44

12.	The Mastiff Bitch	8:19

13.	Bracy Returns	7:41

14.	The Banquet	10:10

15.	Geraldine 'Tis Thou	4:17

16.	The Hunt Rides	7:07

17.	Death In The Combe	8:20

18.	All Is Lost	5:07

19.	Bracy Petitions The Gods	5:59

20.	The Conclusion To Christabel	2:30

21.	Background And Creative Process	6:40

22.	Plot Of Christabel Released	8:18

23.	Credits & Permissions	3:48

Credits

released April 2, 2019

Full attributions when required are on the last track: Credits & Permissions'. Each track also has the appropriate credits.

Sound recordist & audio advisor: Phill Phelps
Abide with me – sung by Simon Caporn
Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’, performed by Stefan Hoyte (adapted Ralph Hoyte)
excerpt of a choral piece by 16th century Spanish composer Tomas Luis de Victoria, performed by the Escolania Salesianos during pre-Easter celebrations at the Iglesia de Santa María de la Paz (Sagrada Mortaja), Seville, Spain) by dobroide (Freesound)
Agnus Dei / William Byrd /Capella Ducis by klankbeeld (Freesound)
Church Bells, by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk)(Freesound)
Church-bell by klankbeeld (Freesound)
Cloches d’enterrement – Burial Bells: Flavien Gillie (Antraigues-sur-Volane, France)(by special permission, many thanks!)
Fennesz – Hikari: Written & performed by Christian Fennesz; Published by Touch Music/Fairwood Music UK Ltd: www.fennesz.com (by special permission, many thanks!)
Grandfather Clock Strikes Ten: Pooky1 (Freesound)
Horse Galloping by Max Headroom (Freesound)
Horse Whinny, Close, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) (Freesound)
Howl by Taira Komori (Freesound)
Hunt Horn by Countrychap999 (Freesound)
Japan Koto by RutgerMuller (Freesound)
Kikeriki by SirMediabert (Freesound)
Last Post by Benboncan (Freesound)
Lethbridge Sounds; Piano Playing Classical Music: IESP The IntraEnvironmental Sound Project: (Freesound)
Piano improvisation by Bradovic (Freesound)
Saloon piano, honky tonk by vdublin (Freesound)
Scriabin Etude Op.8, No 4: Vladimir Oppenheim (Freesound)

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