Music in technicolour with soul. Acoustic and electronic. 'cello, vocals, Indian Harmonium, live effects. This try out set weaves polyphonic threads for an accumulating aurora of songs inspired by the Greek myth, Persephone.

ZOOM0003 LR.WAV

Composed by Anna-Helena McLean this song is a work in progress inspired by the only undisputed tablet associated with the Ancient Mesopotamian Goddess of wholeness, Inanna. The tablet is kept in Paris and states "I am the morning star and I am the evening star, I am the first string and I am the last string". There is only one full hymn with notation surviving from Ancient Mesopotamia called Hurrian Hymn 6 and it took lead archaemusicologist, Richard Dumbrill, 20 years to translate. It is probably written by a woman, composed for an audience of women and the words describes a woman's wish for fertility and birth (at the time it was believed that the wind brought about conception and sex was an art of female centred pleasure). 

This is also the song about my experience of becoming a single mother by choice and the overwhelming feeling of unconditional love as my daughter's life grew within me and as I traced it closely through a solo IVF process that I managed to fund through a chance job placement on the West End.

The track features live recording from a residency I directed, that took place in Italy in 2019 at Centro Anidra. Vocal work also features Kat Shaw and Sarah Nichols.

A full version of the song with instrumental coming soon.

Mixed and Produced by Abstract Source

With enormous thanks to everyone involved.

Fallen Star - Trailer version with ACT ensemble

Fallen Star

Composed by and with vocals and cello by Anna-Helena McLean

Mixed and produced by Abstract Source

Fallen Star

https://jasminaandannahelena.wordpress.com

From the Well LIVE at Celebrating Sanctuary 2011

Brought together by their love for Slavic music, 'From the Well' bring you Jasmina Stosic and Anna-Helena McLean, two women with roots in Serbia and Poland. Harmonising their distinct and powerful passion for the drama of folk song they perform Serbian traditional songs in their own arrangements that capture the joy they share.

From The Well 1

From The Well 2

From The Well 3

From The Well 4

When I brought Titania to NYC we set my music with a chorus of 3 fairies, all extraordinary singers and musicians from the HYDRA vocal trio. We performed at Rockwood Music Hall

Anna-Helena McLean

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