New Release – POSSESSED by eX
Heresy announces the release of POSSESSED by the innovative early music ensemble, eX. POSSESSED is eX’s second album for Heresy.
POSSESSED will be released in the UK and internationally on 2nd September. The North American and world wide digital release was 27th August.
POSSESSED explores the bizarre and compelling universal phenomenon of possession through the prism of medieval, renaissance, baroque, traditional and popular music. The album features music from eX’s production of the same name that toured Ireland to critical acclaim in 2010 and 2012.
The album focuses on four cultural manifestations of possession.
- Mystic Christian ecstasy as experienced by the visionaries, Hildegard von Bingen, Joan of Arc and Teresa of Avila
- Demonic possession and the trial of Goody Glover who was executed for witchcraft in 1688 the account of which by Cotton Mather directly led to the Salem witch trials four year later
- Candomblé, the ceremonial African/Brazilian animistic religion where adepts are possessed by dieties (orixás) while in a music-induced trance
- Tarantism, the Southern Italian phenomenon where victims of the bite of a spider fall into a comatose trance that can only be lifted by a musical exorcism to the rhythm of a folk dance called the tarantella
Critical Acclaim for eX’s Production of POSSESSED
“eX’s Possessed is a tour de force – instrumental and vocal brilliance combined to extraordinary effect.” The Works, RTÉ TV
“The music was of the highest international standard with beautiful singing and most infectious instrumental playing…early music of this sort has such a strong immediate appeal and eX is the only Irish-based group to present it – and to such a very high standard.” Tim Thurston, Lyric FM