Album Notes

stephenhero is Patrick Fitzgerald of 1990’s UK sonic-cathedral and
shoegaze heroes Kitchens of Distinction fame. Apparition in the Woods is Patrick’s fifth record under the stephenhero name and provides us with another slab of his literary-inspired musical genius…

Apparition in the Woods demonstrates first and foremost Patrick’s love of a good story. Taking biographical leads from a cast ranging from the great gay poets and prose writers of the 19th and 20th centuries to the British song-writing tradition of Benjamin Britten
(who himself took a lead from the stories of poet Thomas Crabbe), from albums of family photographs to the diaries left by those who endured some of the most horrific scenes of WWII, he has adopted a lyrical verité approach to retelling these tales of the
‘ghosts of recent past’. Using haunting piano, distorted guitar, chilling electrified cello from Semay Wu and equally chilling background vocals from his long-time friend
David McAlmont (who also contributes lyrical verité words to one song) Patrick weaves the web for these narratives on what he calls his ‘most homosexual’ recording to date.

What the critics said of the last stephenhero release:

"this subtle and spacious record is one of the year's finest"” **** The Times (August 4-10, 2007)

"the best thing he's done" Gay Times (August 07)

"songs of doomed hearts and dark imaginings" *** The Irish Times (August 17th 2007)

"highly recommended” The Irish Star on Sunday (September 9th 2007)

"here's proud validation of a most distinctive voice" **** MOJO (September 07)

"epic, shimmering tones and vapour trails" *** UNCUT (October 2007)

* Since his last musical outing, 2007’s ‘57 Stars of the Air Almanac’, Patrick has had a life-saving kidney transplant, retrained as a Doctor and ‘married’ his long-term partner in a Civil Ceremony Partnership all of which he is more than happy to talk about in interview and ‘human interest’ articles…

For further information, full lyrics and interviews/photos please contact:
Karel Singer ragoorapress@stephenhero.co.uk 0786 692 3257
www.stephenhero.co.uk

Apparition in the Woods (RAG005)
stephenhero

A Closer Look


A LARK DESCENDS
About the relationship between the British composer Frederik Delius and his amanuensis* Eric Fenby.
(* a literary assistant ie. his ‘hands’ in old age/illness and a transcriber of his music)

I WILL SLEEP (w. David McAlmont)
Patrick’s updated version of American poet Walt Whitman’s bold 19th century same-sex love poem “When I Heard at the Close of Day.”

ST PIERRE
The harrowing and pleading story of Frenchman Pierre Seel, author of ‘I, Pierre Seel, deported homosexual.’ Imprisoned as a ‘known homosexual’ in war time Alsace, Pierre witnessed his former lover, the teenage Jo, stripped and mauled to death by dogs set on him by the camp guards. The memory causes him grief for the rest of his life.

THE GRIMY SOLUTION (w. David McAlmont)
Based on the last scene of British composer Benjamin Britten’s opera ‘Peter Grimes’ where outsider Peter is forced to choose suicide rather than be murdered by the fishing community he lives and works in.

ST VARIAN
Varian Fry was involved in the rescue of around 2000 Jewish artists (including Marcel Duchamp, Marc Chagall, Andre Breton and Max Ernst) from the Nazi SS in southern France by an underground ‘railroad’ system into Spain then Portugal and beyond. Varian’s autobiography ‘Surrender on Demand’ was also the subject of the Barbra Streisand produced biopic ‘Varian’s War’.

BLOOD ON BOOKS (lyrics by David McAlmont)
A re-telling of Jean Genet’s tragic relationship with tightrope walker Abdallah.

THE SNOW THAT WOULD NOT MELT (w. David McAlmont)
The villagers around Auschwitz reported that it often snowed, but that the snow would not melt...

MW CASSIOPEIA
(a musical interlude inspired by the stars)

DISAPPOINTMENT AT NIAGARA FALLS (w. David McAlmont)
A closer look at a family photograph album and the memories – near and distant - it unlocks.

TROUBLE OF THE WORLD (w. David McAlmont)
Recorded whilst on dialysis, Patrick’s version of this traditional song echoes Mahalia Jackson’s pain in her version from the movie ‘Imitation of Life’.