Through this life, as I roam
I find myself all on my own
Once more, once more

And I hear, lovers coo
And the pain within me wakes anew,
So sore, so sore. 

There they are, all in pairs
And the thing they have is only theirs 
Alone, alone

There is love all around
And yet somehow I have never found
My own, my own

Oh lover, oh lover, where art thou?
Oh lover, oh lover, where art thou?

How I wish, how I yearn
How ardently I feel it burn
Inside me, inside me

All alone, in the dark
I am waiting for a open heart
To find me, to find me

Oh lover, oh lover, where art thou? 
Oh lover, oh lover, where art thou? 

Chorus
I believe I'll find you 
In time
In the night I feel
Your heart reaching for mine

Oh lover, oh lover; where art thou?
Oh lover, oh lover, where art thou? 

Bridge
Through the wind and through the rain
(I know you're there, for)
I can hear you call my name

Chorus

Where art thou?

Brynne Santos - Harp and Lead Vocalist
Mark Andrews - Acoustic guitar, Bass, and Backup Vocals
Chris Leman Brown - Percussion and Vocals
Joseph Pacquin - Electric Guitar
Mixed by Christopher Lee
©️℗ 2021 Brynne Santos/Seven Six Records

Oh Lover Where Art Thou

Where have you gone my friend
Where are you going to
Who is the changeling I see
In your place
How in the world did you get
Where you are now
Why is there so much anguish
In your face

I know you’re not really gone

Chorus
You're still there
You are lying in 
Your heart just out of sight
Locked away
In a black cocoon
Asleep within your hardship
Till it's gone

You have been swallowed up in  
Some black hole no one can see
Buried beneath a mound of
Things gone wrong
Still underneath it all
I can see
You have inner strength to
Carry on

Because you’re not really gone

Chorus

Bridge
I wanna bring you back
How can I bring you back?
My friend, I want you back

Chorus

Written by Brynne Santos
Brynne Santos - Vocals
Dylan Gagnon - Guitar
Matthew Chan - Guitar
Sam Champion - Bass
Christopher Lee - Drums, Programming
Engineered by Christopher Lee
©️℗ 2020 Brynne Santos/Seven Six Records

Asleep In Your Hardship

Beneath my waves is a world unknown
With fair delights and danger sewn
All open hearts behold my throne
And rest your soul in me
All subjects living in my tide
Distinct, unique, do glow with pride
All shades and orders do reside
In the waves of the sea

The children in my shallows wade
So many children here have played
And heard the seabirds’ serenade
And rest their souls in me
Up and down, into my arms
My waves will catch them, safe from harm
As they discover the ocean’s charm
In the waves of the sea

I’ve borne fine ships with all on board
Both good and evil, lady and lord
To their destinations to be shored
As they rest their souls in me
Alas, alas, not all can land
Not all can survive as I demand
I lay them down within my sand
In the waves of the sea

Written by Brynne Santos
Brynne Santos - Vocals
Engineered by Cristopher Lee
©️℗ 2021 Brynne Santos/Seven Six Records

Ballad Of The Sea Mother

The  first song in Middle English I ever learned and performed. This haunting love song is one of the oldest known in the English language, dating to somewhere between 1290 and 1320. The narrator of the lyrics is a man hopelessly in love with someone he can never be with, pouring his heart out to a bird, desperate for a sympathetic listener. Initially, I assumed that was the end of it; a simple love song from someone who lived in the shadows of the medieval world. After some research, however, I discovered it was initially found on the back of a papal bull in the Priory of Saint James, a monastery near Exeter, England. A secular piece in a sacred place; an unusual occurance. Having learned this piece of information, another layer to the lyrics was revealed. "Mankind comes from love, and thus craves love.", "Might I have her of my own free will,". These particular lyrics stood out to me as ironic, in the sense that those who lived as members of the church were expected to abstain from such things as intimate relationships. Thus, I developed a conviction that the speaker in this piece is a monk or priest, consumed by love that can never come to fruition. Love is an emotion that pervades all of humanity, across time, distance, and practices. So keep this in mind when you listen to (any rendition of) this piece; remember that unnamed individual, long since departed, who struggled with the same emotions and sentiments we do to this very day.

Bryd One Brere

Lyrics:

Verse 1
Strike the tinder in the lantern
Pull a cloak around your cheeks
Come and follow old Forever
Through his deepest memories

Into worlds that came before us
Full of souls we’ll never know
Find the pieces of our present
That were born so long ago

Prechorus
Can you hear them calling?

Chorus

Spread your wings
You will fly through the vast joy and pain
Through the air that rings
With the echoes of the past that remain

Verse 2

Sacred songs and ancient stories
Held a place in someone's heart
Rusting doors and aching gallows
Oh, what tales they could impart

Though with time the sounds grow fainter
They never truly go away. 
And the mystery and magic
Are still tangible today

Prechorus

Chorus

Bridge
Do not forget
Lest the evil repeats
Take to your heart
All the lessons they teach
Let’s grant their wish
That this time
Will be better

Chorus 2x

Come and follow old Forever
Through his deepest memories

Echoes

I have long felt a desire to release a single for the Christmas season, so, me being me, the carol I selected to cover was the most depressing one I could find. 

All joking aside, I was first introduced to this beautiful song by Loreena Mckennitt’s rendition from her album, A Midwinter Night’s Dream, and rediscovered it on the PBS Special, 12 Days of Tudor Christmas, with Lucy Worseley, which inspired me to write my own arrangement. The Coventry Carol is an English Christmas carol that can be traced back to the 16th Century, and it is not known exactly who wrote it. This haunting, heartbreaking piece centers around the story of the Massacre of the Innocents; an event detailed in the New Testament in which King Herod, upon hearing of the birth of Jesus, ordered the execution of all male children under the age of two in Bethlehem. Lyrically, it takes the form of a lullaby sung by the mothers of the departed children. At the time when this was written, the infant mortality rate was considerably higher than it is now, meaning that this situation and the grief that came with it was not an unfamiliar feeling for many mothers of this period. Even now, though tragedies of this caliber are not as common, they do still happen. Whether we realize it or not, there are people who are struggling with unimaginable hardships that we have no idea about. So this holiday season, I give all who hear this the knowledge that you are never alone, no matter how much it may seem that way. And although I can’t even begin to know all the answers, I can give you the gift of knowing that there is someone out there who cares.

Lyrics:

Chorus:
Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child,
Bye bye, lully, lullay.
Lullay, thou little tiny child,
Bye bye, lully, lullay.

O sisters too, how may we do
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling for whom we sing,
“Bye bye, lully, lullay”?

Herod the king, in his raging,
Chargèd he hath this day
His men of might in his own sight
All young children to slay.

That woe is me, poor child, for thee
And ever mourn and may
For thy parting neither say nor sing,
“Bye bye, lully, lullay.”

Credits

Written by: Anon., 16th Century English
Arrangement: Brynne Santos

Brynne Santos - Celtic Harp and Voice
Rachel Janielis - Cello
Musescore - Oboe
Abigail King - Recording Engineer
Christopher Lee - Mixing Engineer
Robert Santos - Mastering Engineer
Lyrics based on those courtesy of classical-music.com, edits by Brynne Santos

The Coventry Carol

Lyrics:

Middle English:
Bryd one brere, brid, brid one brere,
Kynd is come of love, love to crave
Blythful biryd, on me thu rewe
Or greyth, lef, greith thu me my grave.

Hic am so blithe, so bryhit, brid on brere,
Quan I se that hende in halle:
Yhe is whit of lime, loveli, trewe
Yhe is fayr and flur of alle.

Mikte ic hire at wille haven,
Stedefast of love, loveli, trewe,
Of mi sorwe yhe may me saven
Ioye and blisse were were me newe.

Modern English (Rough Translation):
Bird on a briar, bird, bird on a briar,
Mankind comes from love, and thus craves love.
Blissful bird, have pity on me,
Or dig, love, you dig my grave for me.

I am so blithe, so bright, bird on briar,
When I see that handmaid in the hall:
She is white of limb, lovely, true,
She is fair and the flower of all.

Might I have her at my will,
Steadfast of love, lovely, true,
From my sorrow she may save me
Joy and bliss would wear me new 

Acknowledgements:
Bryd One Brere
Written by: Anon., 13th/14th century English
Arrangement: Brynne Santos

Brynne Santos - Lead & Background Vocals
Musescore - Harp and Strings
Pixabay - Church Bell
Robert Santos - Mixing/Mastering Engineer

Bryd One Brere (2023)

It was one day in talking to someone about a high school crush, that the person I was talking to said, "Oh yeah, he looks like trouble." And the rest, as they say, is history!

Lyrics:
Tall, and slender as a weasel
Handsome as a Belgian shepherd
Sweeter than the sugar in a candy
To my wondering eyes

But just one look at you, and I can see 
That, in that darling ferret costume, there hides a wolverine

Chorus:
You’re trouble, trouble, trouble
By the double, double, double, I wonder
Bad boy, why do I love you?
Then you hit me, hit me, hit me 
With your pretty, pretty, pretty eyes
And bad boy, I know why I love you
You’re so fine, you’re so fine

Why? You can’t be right for me
Oh, stop it! You’re killing me, gorgeous
One look into your “love you, baby” brown eyes
And I’m so lightheaded

You don’t seem too devoted to any one girl, and
One single dance with you, well, I’d sure give that a whirl

Chorus

I’m trying, trying not to beg you just to
Come a little closer and give me a kiss
I’m lying if I say you’re the one for me, but
If I were in your arms, I’d be in bliss

Oh why, love, must I want you? It’s so wrong
Oh, why? Why? Why?

Chorus

Written by Brynne Santos
Brynne Santos- vocals
Dylan Gagnon- guitar
Camden Connor- guitar
Sam Champion- bass
Christopher Lee- drums, programming
Engineered by Christopher Lee
Mastered by Brandon Vaccaro

©℗ 2020 Brynne Santos/Seven Six Records

Trouble

All too often, we find ourselves feeling alone in our struggles, not realizing that there are others enduring the same struggles, and - get this -  also feeling alone.
Thus, you end up with a kind of, well, collective isolation.

Why me?
What have I done?
To be quarantined 
Like a disease
It seems they never knew 
There was life on my planet 
I can’t afford to let them know again

Chorus:
We hear it
This darkness ringing
In our ears
And in our hearts
And in our song

It seems like
We've been living
This gilded life
In collective isolation
All along

I know,
This can’t be right
And yet to say so 
It’s as good as death
If our whole lives are 
Reliant on our innocence 
Why must blood, sweat, and tears
Wash the guilt away

Chorus:
We hear it
This darkness ringing
In our ears
And in our hearts
And in our song

It seems like
We've been living
This gilded life
In collective isolation
All along

Written by Dylan Gagnon, Camden Connor, Sam Champion, and Brynne Santos
Brynne Santos- vocals
Dylan Gagnon- guitar
Camden Connor- guitar
Sam Champion- bass
Christopher Lee- drums, programming
Engineered by Christopher Lee
Mastered by Brandon Vaccaro

©℗ 2020 Brynne Santos/Seven Six Records

Collective Isolation

Sometimes, you just need to listen to a good power anthem.

Lyrics
Verse 1

Get ‘em going babe, going babe
Give it your all
And if you can’t fly then you will fall
And get ‘em going back, going back
From whence they came
And you’ll wish you never gave your name
You really think you’re really it
Well, sorry but I’m not seeing it, hey

Chorus

We are the mouse when the cat’s away
We are the sunset and break of day
We are Fagin’s Dodger
We are the real deal! Welcome to our world

Verse 2

Darling, pattycake, pattycake
Doesn’t work here
And you want to make us shake in fear
So baby bring it, bring it
What have you got?
Do you really imagine your just that hot
Then bring the ceiling to the floor
And leave the masses screaming for more 

Chorus

Bridge

Everywhere we go
People want to know
Who we are
And we say

Chorus 2x

Written by Brynne Santos
Brynne Santos- vocals
Dylan Gagnon- guitar
Camden Connor- guitar
Alexis Csicsek- bass
Christopher Lee- drums, programming
Engineered by Christopher Lee
Mastered by Brandon Vaccaro

©℗ 2020 Brynne Santos/Seven Six Records

The Real Deal

Disclaimer: I do not own the song or the translation posted below. 

A traditional Irish song in Gaelic; one of my personal favorites, both to listen to and to sing. The song is a lament of a Catholic mother whose son has become a priest of the protestant faith, as she calls for him to return.

Irish:

Shiuil mise thal is a bhus
i mólta ghrainn óige a rugadh mé
‘sni fhaca mé niontas go fóill
mar an sagart ó Dónaill ‘na mhinistir

Curfa
Fill fill a rún ó
Fill a rún ó
is ná h’imigh uaim
Fill orm a chuisle ‘s a stóir
agus chifidh tú ‘n glór má fhillean tú

Dhiultigh tú Peadar is Pól
már gheall ar an ór ‘s as an airgid
Dhiultigh tú banrion ná glóir
agus d’iompaig tú go cóta an mhinistir

Curfa

English translation:

I walked hither and yon
In Molta Ghrainn I was born
And I didn’t see the wonder yet
Like Father Ó Donaill as a minister

Refrain
Return return o (secret) lover
Return o (secret) lover
And do not depart from me
Return to me o heart and treasure
And you will see the glory if you return

You denied Peter and Paul
Because of the gold and silver
You denied the queen of glory
And you converted to the garb of a minister

Refrain

Lyrics from Song of the Isles

Brynne Santos - harp, vocals

Lead Engineer/Producer - Alexander Benson
Assistant Engineer - Christopher Ridge

Recorded at Durgin Hall, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA



Fill, Fill A Rún (Live to 2)

A duet between myself and my mother in this traditional Irish song, to honor the recent passing of my uncle, Patrick Burke. Good night, and joy be with you all.

Disclaimer: This is a cover; I do not own the song or the arrangement. 

The Parting Glass (featuring Maureen Burke)

I am primarily a vocalist, but I also play piano and harp. Although I mainly dwell in hard rock and Celtic music, I have experience with a variety of musical genres, and am by no means stylistically limited.

Music has been a massive part of my life ever since I can remember, growing up with a family full of people who sing or play instruments, or both. I have spent a lifetime, as I like to say, following my inner song, and using what I learn along the journey to find my own spiritual strength and connect with those around me.

I've seen firsthand the power of music in expressing emotion, bringing people together through common interest, and reflecting the deepest aspects of human experience. My greatest goal is to harness that power and use to positively impact those around me.

Brynne Santos

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