‘Garden Of Remembrance’ is a beautifully moving and personal song from the Scottish singer, Fish.
Fish was presented with a touchstone for the lyrics of the song through an ever-increasing awareness of old age and its associated illnesses, through the death of his father in 2016, and his elderly mother moving into care with Fish and his wife in January 2019.
Deep Beauty in the Fading Light of Days
With such a delicate and deeply touching subject, the emotional delivery borders on heart wrenching, with Fish’s superbly spellbinding and fragile performance. Lyrically, he has dared to enter a very dark personal space where most of us fear to tread and has managed to convey a deep beauty that celebrates life in the fading light of days.
“The song was put together as though we were painting a delicate piece of Royal Doulton china,” comments Fish.
The song is taken from Fish’s solo album, “Weltschmerz.” It stands as the album’s most poignant and personal moment; a gorgeous piano ballad wrapped in a stirring arrangement that showcases one of the best vocal performances of Fish’s long and illustrious career.
Deeply Honest Video, Filmed During Lockdown
To complement the brave and deeply honest song, its accompanying video is equally exceptional. Directed by David Lam and Hannah Thompson (daughter of Fish’s long term collaborator and illustrator Mark Wilkinson), the outdoor shots were filmed at daybreak during lockdown on a deserted beach, a glass wall separating the couple, who at one point are very briefly reunited.
Fish’s intense performance, seated alone in an art gallery lined by artwork from his career, is focused directly on the camera where he allowed his raw emotion to take hold during the filming, resulting in a genuine tear at a crucial moment.
“The video involved a complicated approach as the whole country went into lockdown just as we were due to start filming,” explains Fish. “I had to be filmed in front of a white screen in my home and then the gallery around me was created as a miniature 3-D model into which I was magically transported. Meanwhile the couple were filmed on an Essex beach, rather than in Scotland as intended and the gigantic glass wall across the beach was intended to symbolise the separation of the couple. However it came to take on another meaning as lockdown separated families across the country.
My Wife’s Hand on My Shoulders
“I was very aware of my mother in her room only 15 metres away and, although not on camera, I felt her presence intensely during the performance. My wife’s hand on my shoulders at the end of the video added to the emotional dynamic, drawing together yet another circle within the story.”
The new single is taken from the brand new double album Weltschmerz, marking Fish’s eleventh – and final – studio recording. It is an extraordinary piece of work that brings down the curtain on this phase of the Scotsman’s successful career.
But whilst Weltschmerz emits a certain air of finality and closure, it is not a depressing record. Besides bringing us Fish’s finest set of lyrics to date, Weltschmerz is also his most adventurous and varied piece of work. It will stand as a remarkable achievement, a truly magnificent end to his recording career of over 40 years – during which he has sold millions of records both as the frontman of Marillion and throughout his three decades as a solo artist.
The 84-minute double album is available to preorder now from https://fishmusic.scot in multiple formats including double digipak CD with 16 page booklet and as a gatefold 180-gram double vinyl.
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