In 1972, Comus began the process of writing new material
For the follow-up album to First Utterance
The material was planned as a suite consisting of two sections
It was called The Malgaard Suite
The basic story was of a beautiful young maiden
Beguiled and held captive by a powerful warlock ogre called Malgaard
The first section evolved into a 15 minute continuous piece
We played it at a number of gigs
But when it was offered to Dawn Records as the basis of the new album
They suggested cutting it down to 3 minutes and wanted a single
The second section was only completed
Just before the band split up in September of '72
And was never recorded or performed
What you're about to hear
Is the only known recording of Comus playing the first section
It was recorded on a Sony cassette recorder
At a university in 1972 by Andy Wall
He rediscovered it a couple of years ago and passed it onto us
Time and neglect have not been kind to the original cassette
And the audio quality is not good
Despite a careful renovation by Jonny Seagroatt
This, then, is the title track from Comus' lost second album
♪
Serene, she shimmers
Shine sheen, and a shimmer
Bright light, he sighs
'Neath your gleam, I'm a glimmer, me a dream, I'm much grimmer a sight
Warm shafts of her glory radiated towards me, and she goes
With a sigh (Don't worry or fear)
Went too high (Our parting is near)
And when, with her foot upon its prey
Bore her life away
Cherish our meeting, don't mourn the past (Weak she lay, spirit ebbed each day)
Lonely we may be, yet dream a love (Weak she lay, spirit ebbed each day)
We buried her deep 'neath the chill of the ice-frozen ground!
Cherish our meeting, don't mourn the past
After we're torn away, strangle me through the dark clouds!
(Cherish our meeting, don't mourn the past)
Grave decay in our hearts were made
She shrouds my blazing memory bank
She flies, in the presence of the dark
Her voice weaves pulsing patterns behind my eyes
Her voice weaves pulsing patterns behind my eyes
Distorts the twisting torture in disguise
Warps the contoured vortex out of sight
The carving bolts asunder through the skies
Hovering her phantom spirit visible to him and me
She'd ring all the bells for life tonight
She'd keep up her love, she'd surely die
Malgaard the magician in his ogre dominion of Ebon
For he will be covered in jealousy, with her passion's coming destiny
Straight from the mountain
From playing with luck in the fountain
Chatting and gloating and leering, we lo
Dominion of Malgaard from Ebon
Chilled blue is our peace
The murky swampland reeks
(Who could hear a sound, from the marshy ground)
(Who could hear a sound, from the marshy ground)
Alight the mire to see
(With heart aglow, with heart aglow)
(With heart aglow, with heart aglow)
Through the mist, the sharp blue sea heralding the barren lair
I wake to find ropes that tightly bind
He leads a horse on a crooked course
Past dale and farm with all alarm
No sorrow when, tomorrow then
Praying more things grow, reach heaven snow
Leave more aglow
Praying more things grow, reach heaven snow
Leave more aglow
Praying more things grow, reach heaven snow
Leave more aglow, leave more aglow
Leave more aglow, leave more aglow
Leave more aglow, leave more aglow
Leave more aglow
Black gates, lock the secret of ages
Hold thy fate, the electric sky rages
Still we wait, as the door gapes asunder
Through the work of the ancient gods
♪
She steps from the rocky cliffs
A danger spot, with the grey cliffs over her
A distant overhang
The Earth, regardless, starts shuddering
The feeling from a daze meets Malgaard's sudden gaze
His voice, like thunder 'cross the everglades
He rises from the gate, a chill wind generates
Naïve, to think you could betray the king
Her love the wicked take, she lies beneath the lake
She lies beneath the lake, she lies beneath the lake
She lies beneath the lake!
♪
Condition, my captivity
Lady claims my date now and it's tonight
Aware to liven her before it's too late
So I might head to her domain
Her enveloped in white winter's throes
I come upon the lake, clearly she's not dead
Her image fades, an ambiguous fate
And I might head to her domain
♪
Ice incarcerate, surface impregnate, shine or desecrate
Splintering the shell
Conjurer create, surface radiate, form disintegrate
Shattering the shell
Ice incarcerate, surface impregnate, shine or desecrate
Splintering the shell
Conjurer create, surface radiate, form disintegrate
Shattering the shell
Can you hear, all that fire?
In my heart, and need, gathering
Oh, I know nothing that's quite undying
She grace her tomb, ice carnal womb
I break the surface, shatter the curse, her body exhumed
The spell disperses with a conjured ripple, hope consumed
And all the birds have flown
From the skies, to my eyes
Flying, far away
He cannot wait, Malgaard must date
Depravity, suffer to me
For I know, that I must die, alone
Straight from the mountain
From playing with luck in the fountain
Chatting and gloating and leering, we lo
Dominion of Malgaard from Ebon
Who could hear a sound, from the marshy ground
Who could hear a sound, from the marshy ground
With heart aglow, with heart aglow
With heart aglow, with heart aglow
Who could hear a sound, from the marshy ground
With heart aglow, With heart aglow, With heart aglow
With heart aglow
There stood before us, a jewel from a time old
Long before the age of the ancient gods
The carving bolts asunder through a splay
Grim gates foreboding wonder, take me away