From the recording Siren Songs
A legendary musician and poet, Orpheus had the ability to charm both the living and the dead with his music. Upon the death of his newly-wed wife, Eurydice, he played such sad and mournful songs, that even the nymphs and gods wept in compassion.
They advised Orpheus to travel to the underworld and soften the hearts of Hades and Persephone with his music. Orpheus did as he was told, and Hades agreed to allow Eurydice’s return to earth, on one condition only: Orpheus was to walk in front of her without looking back until they had both reached the Upper World.
Orpheus, forgetting that both needed to reach the Upper World first, immediately looked back upon arriving there, and Eurydice vanished once again, this time for eternity.
Inspired by a Dollie Radford poem
Lyrics
We wandered in that shadowland, my fair love, you and I
through all its strangeness hand in hand, we journeyed silently
My lyre is hanging cold and damp, mute with our triumph song
I have no voice now you are come, whom I have sought so long
But I will bring you in Love's land, into Love's highest place
and crown you there, and understand the wonder of your face
And then my joyous song shall rise to sun and moon and star
and all the worlds beyond the skies shall tell you “fair you are!”