The Blue Hour - The Night is Windless

The Night Is Windless
(Trans. David McDuff)

The night is windless.
Empty, the roadway’s trail.
I wanted to speak,
But to whom, to whom?
The moonlight falls
As in some fairytale,
As on the flowerbed
Around your white home.

The moonlight falls.
All the silence of space
Settles on the road
Where my steps die away.
I wanted to speak
of the heart’s greediness.
Its joy consumed
And gone in a day.

I want to remember you,
Remember, if I can.
You, whom I loved,
Do you live in my soul?
You are far too distant.
Here is the dead land.
Of your voice I remember
But a lame farewell.

Perhaps it will echo still
In my poems’ words. — —
The night is windless.
Space shines empty, alone.
I wanted to speak — —
The weights of dead worlds
Press my heart
To a bed of stone.

by Arvid Mörne (1876-1946)  Mörne was a Finnish author and poet.

The Blue Hour (formerly The Dawn) was created in the Summer of 1993 as the solo project of Brian Hodges, later a member of Black Atmosphere. Since that Summer, the Blue Hour has played numerous live shows, supporting the likes of Sol Invictus, Gitane Demone, Switchblade Symphony, In Gowan Ring, and the Wake.

The Blue Hour has released one cassette EP "The Dawn" and two cassete LP's., "The Landscape of His Dreams" and "Stones in a Well". The CD compilation "Evensong" represents the apocalyptic folk and ambient material from these three releases. The new EP "A Murderer's Heart" represents the Blue Hour's dark orchestral and ambient compositional style.

The Blue Hour blends traditional folk melodies with haunting ambience and some classical structures. The overall sound is hard to define, but creates an otherworldy and hypnotic effect. The songs are generally arranged around some organic sounds, on top of which are leyered keyboards, classical and steel stringed guitars, flutes, chimes and ethereal vocals.

The Blue Hour is:

Brian Hodges - voice, classical and acoustic guitars, flutes, tapes, programming, keyboards, mandolin, percussion and assorted noises

Christoph Gladis - 12 string and electric guitars, additional programming

Zaac Aubrey - guitars, vocals, spirit

Tom Moller - select percussion