TALL HEIGHTS have CHRISTINA ROSSETTI – In the Beak Midwinter, covered
Tall Heights – In The Bleak Midwinter is available at Deezer, Spotify, Apple Music.
by Walter Price
Sarah McLachlan, James Taylor, Annie Lennox, and Cyndi Lauper all have had beautiful renditions of the 18th Century poem “A Christmas Carol” by Christina Rossetti. Or, more commonly known this time of year and to many Peaky Blinders fans as, “In the Bleak Midwinter”. And each and every recording over the decades has had its own indelible weight and connotations.
In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan;
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.
What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a Shepherd
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.
This is now and the Massachusetts folk duo Tall Heights has released two, albeit more secular, interpretations of their own. A studio version as well as a ‘live’ performance, which was filmed at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, MA.
Both versions highlight Tim Harrington and Paul Wright’s celebrated command of harmony and arrangements, but, if you’re a fan of the somber and gripping cinematic Holiday Season storytelling and vibes of The Pogues or perhaps Laura Marling, then it’s the ‘live’ version for you and me. Nevertheless, each recording is an absolute Holiday gem, well worth any wondrous, crackling fire setting.
You can stream the ethereal studio version as well as see the music video of the live performance, now at the GTC.
TALL HEIGHTS In the Beak Midwinter
Band photo vis Facebook / quotes courtesy of Mora May Agency
Video We filmed at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, Massachusetts.
Tim Harrington
Paul Wright
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“In The Bleak Midwinter” has long been a favorite Holiday song of ours. The descriptive wintery language, the aching melody, the way the song creates fire-like warmth and light in darkness: it really embodies a lot of the things we try to write into our own songs. So, for our rendition of the song, we aspired to turn up the mystery and turn up the “bleak.” To us, it’s the mythology and those ancient stories that we hold dear in our hearts that make the holidays so intense, cozy and meaningful.” – Tall Heights