Annie Lennox Releases Dido's Lament From Upcoming 'A Christmas Cornucopia' Reissue
Monday, 16 November 2020
Written by Jon Stickler
Annie Lennox has shared a previously unheard recording of Dido's Lament.
The haunting rendition closes the upcoming newly-remastered 10th anniversary reissue of the Eurythmics star's 'A Christmas Cornucopia', out on November 20.
The unique arrangement of the melancholic 17th century classical piece was spearheaded by Lennox and Mike Stevens. It was originally written by Henry Purcell and references a tragic love story of Dido and Aeneas, as documented in Virgil’s legendary poem, The Aeneid, from the first century. In the UK, Dido's Lament is played every year at the Cenotaph war memorial on Remembrance Sunday. Lennox said:
"For the 10th Anniversary of 'A Christmas Cornucopia' we wanted to offer something a little bit different than the original album. Dido's Lament was an almost forgotten recording I made a decade ago which was randomly unearthed from (co -producer) Mike Steven's studio during lockdown earlier this year… It is the most profoundly haunting and melancholic aria from the opera written by English composer Henry Purcell approximately 300 years ago, where heartbroken Dido prepares to commit suicide.
"It occurred to me there was a comparison to the destruction human beings have brought upon the Planet. When it comes to climate catastrophe, we are on the edge of abyss. I really believe we don’t have much time left to make an effective change. We are looking at a civilization on the downwards side. This is the truth of this matter. It’s staring us in the face and we are not paying any significant attention – continuing on as if it doesn’t exist. I see Dido’s Lament as a lament for our dying planet."
'A Christmas Cornucopia' originally landed in 2010 and offers a collection of mostly traditional British, French and German songs, as well as Lennox's own song Universal Child. All proceeds from the track will benefit The Annie Lennox Foundation.
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