Bethia
To capture the essence of a modern city in music, its people, history, idiosyncrasies, intangible soul and unique spirit is no mean feat. But in Daniel Elms’ Bethia, we can palpably feel the city of Kingston upon Hull.
Water sloshes up against the old Humber and Railway docks and seagulls screech and glide over the water. An early morning fog lingers in the tight winding streets. Shimmering electronics and twinkling split piano chords give the music a spectral feel as the ghosts of the region’s maritime past hum the shanties, work songs and hymns of years gone by.
“Fare you well” murmur this phantom chorus wistfully, remembering with pride that Hull marina was once a hive of shipping, whaling and fishing activity. For centuries, the sea has given this city imagination, spirituality, wealth and hardship. We hear Hull Minster carillon bells in the distance, ringing out over the city as they have done since 1777; a sound synonymous with the city’s industrial heyday but one which also connects Hull’s past to its present and future.
In her autobiography, the experimental artist and musician Cosey Fanni Tutti described her hometown as, “buzzing with energy and an expectancy of a better life.” She observed the people as having a “pervading sense of self survival and a confrontational and uncompromising attitude.”
This is a community uniquely shaped by its history and looking, in its own way, to the years ahead. Investment, renovation, and artistic activity during the City of Culture celebrations have hopefully helped propel Hull forwards towards a bright and creative future.
We hear this optimism in the second half of Bethia. The tide turns, the chorus swells then fades, the tempo gathers speed and a muted trumpet, a sound so umbilically linked with this region, sings through ethereal and meditative electronics. It’s an enchanting and nostalgia-tinged sound world.
This is a love song to the city’s past, present and future. What treasure will wash up on its shore next? How should the city approach this next chapter in its story?
‘Bethia’ was commissioned by the British Film Institute and was funded by PRS Foundation’s New Music Biennial 2017 as part of Hull City of Culture 2017.
The archival motion picture was generously donated by the British Film Institute and Yorkshire Film Archive. The motion picture was compiled and edited by videographer David Briggs. The digital version of the carillon was recorded by Will Rice and Daniel Elms and was programmed by Will Rice.