Listen To Act 1
From The Dolls Of New Albion, A Steampunk Opera
(Listen for free! If you like it, all tracks can be downloaded for £1 if you want to own it and support the show. Or simply feed us. Just click the buy button on the track. Or buy the entire Act for only £5 here. You can also simply buy the entire 4 Act album here.)
Act 1 S1, Overture:
Act 1 S2, New Albion 1 (featuring Kayleigh McKnight):
Act 1 S3, Annabelle Raises The Dead (featuring Lauren Osborn)
Act 1 S4, Annabelle Has A Doll (featuring Lauren Osborn & Kayleigh McKnight)
Act 1 S5, Annabelle’s Lament (featuring Lauren Osborn)
Act 1 S6, We Bid The 1st Generation Adieu (featuring Kayleigh McKnight)
Steampunk music!
ReadWritePage
August 12, 2011 at 11:21 pm
How can I get/buy/borrow/whatever a copy of this overture?
Natalia Corres
September 7, 2011 at 1:00 am
Brilliant!
Your vocals are charming! And the music is wonderful. I cannot wait for the Opera!
Shayne J. Cummin
September 24, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Hello! I came across your Steampunk Opera Overture on youtube and I think it is brilliant! I am a DJ and I perform under the name MetaVirus. I was wondering if would be able to use that song in the opening of a steampunk set I am putting together for mixcloud.com (and maybe for live performance at later date)? Mixcloud is a good promotion tool and I have a pretty diverse following. So if you are keen please get in touch with me either on my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/djmetavirus or on soundcloud (where I will follow you now).
Ladd F Smith
November 11, 2011 at 4:15 am
I love this opera, you did a good job with the songs and i cannot wait to see a fully competed project
Jack O'Brian
December 11, 2011 at 4:57 am
Absolutely beautiful! I hope the completed project will be shown worldwide…?
paulms
December 11, 2011 at 10:34 am
As do i. Thank you so much for the encouragement.
Tony Turner
December 12, 2011 at 3:47 am
I am definitely looking forward to listening to a complete album. It is such a fascinating story and has very wonderful music.
phyllie33
December 24, 2011 at 5:30 pm
It is excellent. I can’t wait for Act II.
Sene
December 29, 2011 at 5:53 pm
It’s just brilliant, though, I’d be pleased if I could read the lyrics, that’s a habit of mine – when I love something I need to know the lyrics. Great work ’till now!
Markuskus
January 8, 2012 at 7:19 pm
Since people want lyrics, I’ve taken the time to try and write down what I know. Please, for the love of all that is holy, add to this! Then we can have a complete lyrics sheet! ^^
Act1: Scene 2: New Albion:
Several hundred before,
A gambler and a monk embarked,
On a long trek through the endless prairies of the North.
They had a fierce debate,
About God, and chance, and fate,
And to resolve it agreed a game of cards indeed be played.
The game went on all day,
And through the next and next they played,
And around them a shelter was built to shield the rain.
A street around the shelter formed,
Then a church, a house, a bar,
And that is how the city of New Albion was born.
That is how the city of New Albion was born.
New Albion today,
With bustling streets, machines cafés,
And the nice, the wise, the eccentric, and insane.
The Mafias run by a red haired dwarf with just one eye,
Whose affairs he decides with a pair of silver dice.
Where the Zepp’lin Union’s pilots (Something) Boss resides,
And we hear his song each afternoon as he flies by.
There’s prisons made of led,
And gargoyles of iron shreds.
And Anabelle McAlistair who’s raising up the dead.
Anabelle McAlistair who’s raising up the dead.
(Something) Street is where the Alchemist Guild meets,
And to join you’ll have to craft a glass pearl from a young girl’s dream.
A group of thieves, they heard, broke in in large to steal their pearls,
But in the morning they were found there sitting staring unperturbed.
The Twilight thought they say,
An aphrodisiac contains,
Nonsense, but, yet they populate in doorways anyway.
There’s inventors and inbred,
In upper classes, it’s been said.
And Anabelle McAlistair who’s raising up the dead.
Anabaelle McAlistaur who’s raising up the dead.
Clever little Anabella with her clever head.
Oh, Anabelle McAlistair who’s raising up the dead.
paulms
January 8, 2012 at 7:23 pm
Oh. My. God. Markuskus… i can’t believe you’ve taken all the time and trouble to work out and write down the lyrics. Dude… that’s amazing. And i feel like a complete douchebag because i have the damn things right here and can cut and paste. I…. hadn’t realized you folks were so serious about wanting lyrics.
Here you go, the entire lyrics to Act 1:
paulms
January 8, 2012 at 7:30 pm
New Albion 1
Narrator:
Several hundred years before
A gambler and a monk embarked
On a long trek through the endless prairies of the North
They had a fierce debate
About ¬¬Gd and chance and fate
and to resolve it agreed a game of cards indeed be played
The game went on all day
And through the next and next they played
And around them a shelter was built to shield the rain
A street aRround the shelter formed
Then a church, a house, a bar
And that is how the city of New Albion was born
………………..
New Albion today
With bustling streets, machines, cafes
And the nice, the wise, the eccentric and insane
The Mafia’s run by
A red haired dwarf with just one eye
Whose affairs he decides with a pair of silver dice
Over the Zeppelin Union Pilots
A castrati boss presides
And we hear his song each afternoon as he flies by
There’s prisons made of lead
And gargoyles of iron shreds
And Annabel McAlistair who’s raising up the dead
Annabel McAlistair who’s raising up the dead
……………….
The Lodge on Ashland Street
Is where the Alchemists Guild meets
And to join you have to craft a glass pearl from a young girl’s dream
A group of thieves they heard
Broke in the lodge to steal the pearls
But In the morning they were found there sitting staring unperturbed
The twilight fog they say
An aphrodisiac contains
Nonsense, but yet they copulate in doorways anyway
There’s inventors and inbred
In upper class it’s been said
And Annabel McAlistair who’s raising up the dead.
Annabel McAlistair who’s raising up the dead.
Annabelle Raises The Dead
Annabelle:
Winding all the dials and the wires and the spires and the
tests for the connections and injections still to run
Capacitors and meters and the alkali and beakers
The restating of equations for the phase about to come
Please come back, to me there’s so much we could be
Please come back, with voltage i invoke
Please come back, from empty cracks and berths of black
Come to me, i’m summoning the Ghost
Be my angel, be my angel
Be my angel, rescue me
be my angel, be my angel
be an angel be with me
chorus:
please come back from bowels of black
from silent shores to me once more
through veils and gates and seas of slate
to blood wet moors where i await ashore
Years of all my theories and hypothesis and inquiries
No gathering cadavers and they kicked me out of school
All alone with theorems and experiments and endless tests
Years in labs and numberlands but now i’ve reached the goal
Please come back, so we can have a life at last
Please come back, i grab at heaven’s throat
Please come back, i beckon, beg and cry and laugh
Come to me, i’m summoning the Ghost
Be my angel, be my angel
Be my angel, rescue me
be my angel, be my angel
be an angel be with me
chorus:
please come back from bowels of black
from silent shores to me once more
through veils and gates and seas of slate
to blood wet moors where i await ashore
please come, speak to me
please come, speak to me
all the things, we can share and conceive
if you’ll come, speak to me
i remember you from school
you were dashing and i so uncool
you didn’t know i was alive until that one night
we spoke and you kissed me
But then i, was expelled
You married, her as well
and no w you have died, but i can bring you back to life
and then soon you’ll, speak to me
Be my angel, be my angel
Be my angel, rescue me
be my angel, be my angel
be an angel be with me (etc)
Please come back, so we can have a life at last
Please come back, i grab at heaven’s throat
Please come back, i beckon, beg and cry and laugh
Come to me, i’m summoning the Ghost
chorus:
please come back from bowels of black
from silent shores to me once more
through veils and gates and seas of slate
to blood wet moors where i await ashore
Annabelle Has A Doll
Narrator:
And so around 3 am,
a recently deceased man
Found himself wound in the land of living again
Bound in a body,
of gears and wheels but oddly
He has no voice and his steel joints barely can bend
The one sound he makes in fact
He streams radio broadcasts
He plays a country station if you give him a pat
Our dearest Annabel is
Quite thrilled and ecstatic
She has a friend who just was dead and yet she brought back
……………….
What may please does not content
all resolves but never ends
all that comforts is not true
all you love does not love you
Annabelle:
i have a dolly and we like to go on walks
we like to stroll around the park all while he listens to me talk
about the people and the places that i never got to see
because i wouldn’t leave my house, but that’s before he was with me
we share a world, which is wonderful to see it’s like a dream
where no one calls me failure if i don’t succeed
i have a dolly it’s like flowers in the spring
and but no matter how i talk to him he never says a thing…
………………..
I have a dolly and he goes with me outside
which used to be a problem for me oh but now i never mind
Ice cream and carriages i always thought were nice
but never had someone to share them with because the lab’s my life
Annabel no friends you must be brilliant and the best
you must be better and industrious, or you are worthless
But now i have dolly a dear friend with whom i go
out for walk and talks but he’s mute and just plays the radio
Jasper: (composer’s note, this section is changed for future versions and will exist like this only for these demo recordings)
It’s another hapless end
It’s another song unsent, it’s just one sigh of
why’d you bring me here again?
Annabelle:
I have a dolly who can keep me company
we go to shows, parades and cabarets though people stare at me
But i’ve shown that i am brilliant and i’ve conquered life and death
the only thing my father said is that one must be a success
And now i’ve got a friend, a silent clockwork double
who can be there for me to lean on when i feel sad and troubled
I have a dolly, and he’s very stabling if not a little just too distant
cause he never says a thing….
Narrator:
What may please does not content
all resolves but never ends
all that comforts is not true
all you love does not love you
what you hold may wish to go
what you believe may not be so
all that brings you piece of mind
may not stay for a long time
Jasper:
It’s another hapless end
It’s another song unsent, it’s just one sigh of
why’d you bring me here, darling why’d you bring me here
Oh why’d you bring me here again?
Annabelle’s Lament
Annabelle:
Ghosts of dreams, ghosts of memory
that will not leave, or lay in quiet
Ghosts that cry, about the life
you let go by
Ghosts of pasts, of little girls who
learned their math, grasped their facts
Tried their best, to reach success
just as she was asked
The girl learns to hide, deep inside
of fractions and facts and worlds of maths
A long lonely land she can understand
Annabel in Numberland
You could have Been my angel
been my angel, been my angel and been with me
you could have Been my angel
been my angel, been my angel and rescued me
………………………………………
Ghosts of love, you never knew, you
just construed like well penned plays
Ghosts of scenes, embraces, things
you only knew in dreamt up days
Ghosts of frowns, for little girls when
friends came round to waste her time
Ghosts of creeds, rebukes received
Children are not what achievers need
Fractions and math, sweet companions,
equations and facts who always stand
by as you go your road alone
Annabel in Numberland
You could have Been my angel
been my angel, been my angel and been with me
you could have Been my angel
been my angel, been my angel and rescued me
……………………………………………
Ghosts of me, ghosts of who
i could be and been with you
Ghosts of dreams, of who you thought
you’d one day be when you grew up
Ghosts of breath, of little girls
who promised, stressed they’d be their best
Ghosts of days that fade away
as failure holds your hand til Death
and deep in the place, you escape where
theorems and thoughts your hopes and plans
all are derailed and then you failed them
Annabel in Numberland
Liquids and labs, fractions and facts,
is all you had, all that you understand
and as you age all that remain with
Annabel in Numberland
You could have Been my angel
been my angel, been my angel and been with me
you could have Been my angel
been my angel, been my angel and rescued me
We Bid The First Generation Adieu
Narrator:
So annabella destroys her
Doll, her beloved toy boy
And takes all the notes that she made and packs them away
Thus annabella vows that she
Won’t tell a soul and stay lonely
Defeated now she sadly creeps back to her lab
Thus friends we bid adieu to
The 1st generation, but don’t move
We’ve 3 more Acts to get through, so come let’s ensue
The future beckons and won’t wait the
Next generation’s on it’s way
Dead things and broken love stories for us await
Markuskus
January 8, 2012 at 9:20 pm
Oh, don’t feel like a douche-bag! Just promise me you’ll let me download all these songs for free sometime soon. I swear, I’ve looked all over, but they’re not even on Pirate Bay. :/
Either that, or keep being awesome. Either or, really. ^^
Zachary
January 8, 2012 at 9:27 pm
Wow, this is excellent! I was suggested the opera by Markuskus. I’ve been listening to it non stop, And thank you so much for writing out the lyrics, now I can sing along and be assured even if I sing awfully, I’m singing the correct song!
Markuskus
January 8, 2012 at 9:35 pm
Just noticing… “So we can have a life at last” isn’t “Have a life of lust”. Dear Lord, I’ve been perverting Annabelle! *Sobs* I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to… But that’s what I thought it said!
Zachary
January 8, 2012 at 9:44 pm
Sick man…
Markuskus
January 8, 2012 at 10:18 pm
I bet we’ve scared off the Composer-man… Either that, or I’ve offended him with my asking for free copies. *Sighs* It was worth a try. I suppose I’ll have to use money and…. *Sobs* -Buy- them. They’re worth it though. And if it’s supporting Mister Composer-Man, then it’s all good!
Get Act 2-4 up! I’m dying to see them! I want to know how Edgar and Byron, and that other weird woman thing are! *Flails in curiosity.*
paulms
January 8, 2012 at 11:28 pm
1. Shame on you despoiling poor Annabelle’s honor like that.
2. The moment vocals for 2-4 are recording they’ll be up. It’ll be before Easter. The first performances will be around that time and prior to that i’ll travel back to England and record the vocalists singing the entire remaining 3 acts. Trust me, i’d do it tomorrow if i could, but it has to wait 2 months.
Markuskus
January 8, 2012 at 11:49 pm
Hmm… A friend and I are curious. Will this ever be performed? That is to say, will you ever get on a stage, and flaunt yourselves in all manner of spectacular acting, with fantastical effects?
paulms
January 9, 2012 at 12:01 am
Absolutely. A director i know in London contacted me an asked if i would write a show, whatever i wanted. I said A Steampunk Opera and then made it. He said great. It will indeed be performed.
The first few performances, which are more to work it all out and thus will be pretty sparse in bells and whistles, will be around Easter in London. After that, performances, especially some key festivals to get it picked up by people with money who are looking to finance new and interesting shows, will be done aggressively.
I am fortunate in that when i did the first act recordings, arranged by the director (Mark Swetz), the company he hooked up with to supply the vocalists liked what was done, as did the performers and now there is a team of theatrical people involved who are working to plan and build the show into something with some legs.
Markuskus
January 9, 2012 at 12:03 am
Please… Oh, please, come to Belfast. If you do, I’ll personally hug you. That’s right! I’ll hug you. Certainly, you can’t say no now, can you?
Markuskus
January 9, 2012 at 12:04 am
If you don’t though, I’ll still fly to London. Just don’t expect a hug or anything.
paulms
January 9, 2012 at 12:06 am
Since i’m Irish i would kill to go and perform in Ireland. AND, since i intend to conquer the world with this show, we MUST play in Belfast, otherwise the world is not conquered.
Markuskus
January 9, 2012 at 12:12 am
All the more reason! Mister Composer-Man, you -have- to come here now! Why, if you don’t, it’d just be a huge insult to your heritage! And we don’t want anyone to be insulted… Especially not the Irish. I hear the English once insulted the Irish. A ghastly business was made afterwards, but I don’t know much about it.
Perhaps you could consider Coleraine Riverside too! Then you’d be able to take away almost all my driving, and I have several… *Look around suspiciously* Contacts… In that theatre. I’m assured, from passing comments to this mysterious entity, that there could easily be 200 people could easily be made to go. Just… Mum’s the word, okay? *Taps nose.*
If not, still come to Belfast. I’ll be there, singing my heart out as you conquer Northern Ireland with beautiful music about a woman raising a dead man to satiate her lusts (or life, whatever way you hear it.)
Seonie
January 9, 2012 at 12:16 am
AHHH this is rather awesome
Zachary
January 9, 2012 at 4:30 pm
I live in Liverpool, it’s okay, I wont ask you to come here, that’d be cruel….
Markuskus
January 11, 2012 at 8:12 pm
… Mister Composer-Man Paul Person Thing, since you’re now the god of all things Steampunk, do you think you could, you know, go somewhere and have New Albion built? I’m just saying that I’d move into it straight away, and even bring with me some fine upper class clothes… Just give me a nice big house somewhere, with a flying penny farthing, and I’ll be happy.
Maybe more on topic for the songs, since I think I’ve gone off… Wonderful music! I loved it all! Make more quickly! Chop chop! Russian Mary Poppins won’t keep me happy forever!
paulms
January 11, 2012 at 10:47 pm
While you wait until April (yeah, April. Sorry. But plans were set in stone today to finish the recordings in April) maybe you’d like this other show i made. Different beast but who knows? http://mochalab.bandcamp.com/album/the-fallen
Markuskus
January 11, 2012 at 11:13 pm
… Why can I not write music? *Sighs* One day I’ll write a novel, however, and then I’ll be a super millionaire. Do try and save these silly, terribly annoying ramblings I’ve given you over the past few days. When I’m more successful that Rowling, you’ll be able to brag that you spoke to me (instead of the other way round.) Also, when you come to Belfast – yes, I’ve decided for you that you are. I feel I can do this without crossing any borders – you can say “Oh look! There goes that guy from the internet! He posted some lyrics once. He’s so fantastically awesome, I think I’ll give him several copies of my Steampunk Opera for free on CD.” Or something to that effect (or is it affect? Either or.)
Hmm… Yes, this “Fallen” is quite nice. It’s very different, but I like it! I prefer the artwork for the cover thing though.
Oh, and last annoying comment that you’re probably dreading of the day! Give Osborn and McKnight a high five or something. Their voices are so marvellously enchanting, and their accents are lovely! *Hums New Albion over and over.*
Zachary
January 13, 2012 at 4:41 pm
Mark, I’ll respect you when you’re more successful than Shakespeare until then, we can live in New Albion together.
Farfegnugen
January 14, 2012 at 6:30 am
From Calgary, Canada, please receive all the fond wishes, thanks, and dearest hopes to see this amazing work of art performed so that the Calgary Steampunk Assemblage can turn out in force and see it for themselves. This is amazing. YOU are amazing. Thank you so much!
Will
January 15, 2012 at 11:32 am
This may be a odd question… but will there be Karaoke versions of these songs in the near future?
barbaraelka
January 23, 2012 at 10:48 pm
“Absolutely. A director i know in London contacted me an asked if i would write a show, whatever i wanted. I said A Steampunk Opera and then made it. He said great. It will indeed be performed”
…keep us posted, please
lauren
February 1, 2012 at 4:11 pm
woooh havent listened to these for a while!! looking forward to working with you again paul
:D
koshka
March 22, 2012 at 5:18 pm
hello! Please let me know,where can I buy this opera? thanks
paulms
March 22, 2012 at 9:25 pm
You can purchase the entire 1st act here: http://mochalab.bandcamp.com/album/the-steampunk-opera-act-1
The rest of it, the entire opera in its entirety will be available May 1st. It will be trumpeted all across this blog along with info of where you can purchase it. (Bandcamp definitely along with itunes and amazon, etc.)
Mr G
March 23, 2012 at 12:36 pm
Having only just discovered the opera, and having instantly fallen in love with it, I am glad I only have to wait a month and a bit for buy the whole thing, any longer would be torture…
Wolf
April 29, 2012 at 7:02 pm
are these all of the music on the album Act I ??
paulms
April 29, 2012 at 7:13 pm
The music makes up the entire 1st Act of a 4 Act album/show. The full album is currently being mixed and mastered and will be available in a couple weeks.
Wolf
April 29, 2012 at 7:18 pm
Thanks!!
Favole Ventrue
July 21, 2012 at 8:18 am
I am really looking forward to that! Do have a date when it will be available? May 1st is long time gone…
Your music is just amazing! Will there be a CD version or only download?
Favole Ventrue
July 21, 2012 at 8:20 am
Ok, I found it. But when will it be on ITunes or Amazon?
paulms
July 21, 2012 at 9:28 pm
I honestly have no idea. I recommend downloading from Bandcamp. It’s wonderful and trustable site.
paulms
November 2, 2012 at 9:30 am
For the record, it is indeed on iTunes and Amazon.
Sakura
April 23, 2013 at 11:22 pm
If I’m correct on this, is the scene where Priscilla and Jasper play cards an allusion to the gambler and the monk from the first act? I suppose Jasper would be the monk, as he makes a sacrifice of his personal elysium, death, so as to make sure Priscilla stays alive. Priscilla would be the gambler, as she is making the gamble that death is the only way to make both of them happy. Or perhaps I’m reading too far into it?
paulms
April 23, 2013 at 11:26 pm
YES!!!! Omg thank you for that. Many don’t get that, and that’s okay, i know it’s a small stretch to catch. Out of those that get it few correctly identify who is who. You are absolutely correct. Priscilla and Jasper are the reincarnation of the gambler and the monk, back to finish the game, and Pris is indeed the gambler and jasper is indeed the monk.
Milana
May 22, 2013 at 8:16 pm
I was wondering if this was a purely musical opera, or if there were visuals to it as well. As a dabbler in the love of steampunk, I found this fascinating. And brilliant. And beautiful.