This Woman's Work: A Live Symphonic Tribute to Kate Bush

February 1, 2019 10:21 AM

Last March, the Gothenburg Symphony celebrated musical visionary Kate Bush with an inspired live retrospective [Vimeo] spanning her 40-year catalog, from The Kick Inside (1978) to Aerial (2005). Bandleader Martin Schaub arranged the program for orchestra, 12-member vocal ensemble, and folk and rock ensemble—the foundation for a power duo on lead vocals: singer-songwriters Jennie Abrahamson [YT, Spotify], who performed with Peter Gabriel on his ‘Back to Front’ tour, and Malin Dahlström of indietronica trio Nicki and the Dove [YT, Spotify]. Inside: annotated setlist, personnel notes, and SLYT samples.

Program setlist and notes

This Woman’s Work: A Tribute to Kate Bush
Gothenburg Symphony featuring Jennie Abrahamsson & Malin Dahlström
Gothenburg Concert Hall - Gothenburg, Sweden - March 24, 2018

Presented in six parts. Full performance on Vimeo, select solo tracks below (SLYT)

Part I: Making Rain ( start-13:24)
Breathing (album: Never for Ever, 1980; vocalist: Malin Dahlstrom)
π (Aerial, 2005; MD)
Cloudbusting (Excerpt) (Hounds of Love, 1985; MD)
Sat in Your Lap (The Dreaming, 1982; MD)

Part II: A Deal with God (13:25 – 25:38)
And Dream of Sheep (Hounds of Love, 1985; Jennie Abrahamson)
Under Ice (Hounds of Love, 1985; JA)
Army Dreamers (Never for Ever, 1980; vocalist: JA)
This Woman’s Work (The Sensual World, 1989; vocalist: JA) [SLYT]

Part III: Wearing a Sunset (25:39 – 44:15)
The Man with the Child in His Eyes (The Kick Inside, 1978; JA and MD)
The Song of Solomon (Red Shoes, 1993; MD) [SLYT]
All We Ever Look For (Never for Ever, 1980; JA and MD)
Babooshka (album: Never for Ever, 1980; JA and MD) [SLYT]
Rubberband Girl (Red Shoes, 1993; JA)

Part IV: Songs of the Oil and the Brush (44:16 – 1:01:33)
An Endless Sky of Honey: Prologue (Aerial, 2005; MD)
Night Scented Stock (Never for Ever, 1980; choir)
Oh England My Lionheart (Lionheart, 1978; JA and MD)
Mrs. Bartolozzi (Aerial, 2005; JA)

Part V: The Hills of Time (1:01:34 -1:18:22)
Wuthering Heights (The Kick Inside, 1978; JA)
Moments of Pleasure (Red Shoes, 1993; vocalist: MD)
Jig of Life (Hounds of Love, 1985; JA and MD) [SLYT]

Part VI: Hounds of Love (1:18:23 - end)
Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) (Hounds of Love, 1985; JA) [SLYT]
Hounds of Love (Hounds of Love, 1985; MD)
You’re the One (Red Shoes, 1993; MD)

Encore:
Cloudbusting (Hounds of Love, 1985; JA and MD)
Wow (album: Lionheart, 1978; JA and MD)

Previous Kate Bush FPPs: And Dream of Sheep video release | Kate Bush and Emily Bronte | The Sensual World album spotlight

posted by prinado (10 comments total)

Speaking of Kate Bush, greenish has posed a MeFi Music covers challenge.
posted by terrapin at 10:48 AM on February 1, 2019 [2 favorites]

Omg! I’m so excited for this!!! Thank you!!!
posted by greermahoney at 11:51 AM on February 1, 2019 [1 favorite]

Thank you very much for this! Just in time to listen to over my lunch break...
posted by cybrcamper at 11:59 AM on February 1, 2019 [1 favorite]

Sweden's west coast representing today, huh? The Gothenburg Concert hall is an amazing performing space.
posted by St. Oops at 1:07 PM on February 1, 2019 [1 favorite]

Jennie Abrahamson was also front and centre for the Gothenburg Symphony's tribute to Bowie a couple of years ago. It's my absolute favorite of all the tributes of the time. Still available on Vimeo.
posted by merocet at 1:25 PM on February 1, 2019 [2 favorites]

This is wonderful. It's very well done. Some beautiful arrangements.
posted by bonehead at 2:05 PM on February 1, 2019

Holy wow! What a thing! I can't wait to listen this weekend. So excited! I had no idea this was even a thing! Thanks!
posted by hippybear at 8:15 PM on February 1, 2019 [1 favorite]

I just finished watching this. Absolutely extraordinary. You don't hear that many covers of Kate Bush songs, I think because her voice is so unique, but these two women, along with the choral work and orchestration, capture the depth and sheer glory of her music. Jennie and Malin's voices are so different and yet they both capture the essence of Kate's singular voice. Bravo! Thanks for posting.
posted by h00py at 8:53 PM on February 1, 2019 [3 favorites]

Finally watching, and wow! I'd pay serious money to see all of A Sky Of Honey performed with this style of arrangement. It's one of my favorite pieces of music of all time. And this performance was entirely excellent and moved me way more than I expected it to.
posted by hippybear at 4:39 PM on February 2, 2019 [3 favorites]

Because I'm too lazy to make a FPP about it, this seems a good place to recommend the Dreams of Orgonon blog:

"a song-by-song critical history of pop trobairitz Kate Bush’s musical artistry. It tracks the development of Bush as a recording artist from her earliest days of home demos to her contemporary status as a massively influential ambassador the mainstream and the strange."

posted by Bangaioh at 6:12 PM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]