Death And The Lady: Nick Abrahams’ film for Shirley Collins’ first record in 38 years
//Shirley Collins with hooden horses. Photo: Toby Amies//
“Shirley has a voice that seems to be in touch with the traditions of the past, but also the dark mystery that makes England so weird, wild and mesmerising, and it is these two aspects that I wanted to convey in the video.”
Nick Abrahams, 2016
I’m captivated by the magical film made by Nick Abrahams to accompany the Shirley Collins song Death And The Lady.
This will appear on the 81-year-old folk singer’s first album in 38 years, which is out in November from Domino Records.
Visually the film for Death And The Lady contains thematic links to Abrahams’ award-winning Ekki múkk which he made for Sigur Rós’ in 2012 and in which Collins provided the voice for a snail.
Among the locations for the new film was the ossuary at St Leonards in Hythe, Kent. Abrahams also draws on the local folk custom of hooden horses and commissioned the corn dollies which recur as a motif from the artist Cathy Ward.
Read Abrahams’ essay about the making of Death And The Lady at promonews.
Visit Abrahams’ site here.