TED2005
Caroline Lavelle: Casting a spell on the cello
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Caroline Lavelle plays the cello like a sorceress casting a spell, occasionally hiding behind her wild mane of blond hair as she sings of pastoral themes. She performs "Farther than the Sun," backed by Thomas Dolby on keyboards.
Caroline Lavelle - Cellist; singer-songwriter
Equally talented on cello and vocals, Caroline Lavelle has created a performance style all her own. Her expansive talents, channeling the best of both classical and contemporary influences, have earned her comparisons to both Kate Bush and Jacqueline du Pré. Full bio
Equally talented on cello and vocals, Caroline Lavelle has created a performance style all her own. Her expansive talents, channeling the best of both classical and contemporary influences, have earned her comparisons to both Kate Bush and Jacqueline du Pré. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
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Thank you very much.
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Now, I've got a story for you.
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When I arrived off the plane,
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after a very long journey from the West of England,
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my computer, my beloved laptop,
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had gone mad,
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and had -- oh! -- a bit like that! --
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and the display on it --
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anyway, the whole thing had burst.
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And I went to the IT guys here
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and a gentleman mended my computer,
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and then he said, "What are you doing here?"
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and I said "I'm playing the cello and I'm doing a bit of singing,"
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and he said, "Oh, I sort of play the cello as well."
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And I said, "Do you really?"
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Anyway, so you're in for a treat,
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because he's fantastic, and his name's Mark.
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01:18
(Applause)
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01:21
I am also joined by my partner in crime, Thomas Dolby.
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01:26
(Applause)
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01:29
This song is called "Farther than the Sun."
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01:35
(Music)
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♫ Strung in the wind I called you ♫
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♫ but you did not hear ... ♫
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♫ And you're a plant that needs poor soil ♫
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♫ and I have treated you too well ♫
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♫ to give up flowers ... ♫
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♫ Oh, I have been too rich for you ... ♫
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♫ Farther than the sun from me ♫
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♫ Farther than I'd have you be ♫
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♫ And I go north, I get so cold ♫
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♫ My heart is lava under stone ♫
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♫ You are not worthy ♫
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♫ You are not worthy ... ♫
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♫ With your calculating eyes ♫
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♫ spinning figures ♫
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♫ you cannot see me ♫
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♫ You cannot see me ... ♫
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♫ And if I tell myself enough ♫
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♫ I'll believe it ♫
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♫ You are not worthy ♫
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♫ The sea, it freezes over ... ♫
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♫ to trap the light ♫
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♫ And I'm in love with being in love ♫
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♫ and you were never quite the one ♫
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♫ In Gerda's eyes ♫
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♫ Fragments of what you've become ♫
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♫ And all the moths that fly at night ♫
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♫ believe electric light is bright ♫
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♫ You are not worthy ♫
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♫ You are not worthy ♫
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♫ With your calculating eyes ♫
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♫ Spinning figures ♫
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♫ You cannot see me, no ♫
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♫ And if I tell myself enough ♫
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♫ I'll believe it ♫
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♫ You are not worthy ♫
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05:33
♫ Farther than the sun from me ♫
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♫ Farther than I'd have you be ♫
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♫ And I go north, I get so cold ♫
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♫ My heart is lava under stone ♫
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05:53
♫ You are not worthy ♫
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♫ You are not worthy ♫
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♫ With your calculating eyes ♫
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♫ Spinning figures ♫
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♫ You cannot see me, no ... ♫
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♫ And if I tell myself enough, I'll believe it ♫
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07:40
(Applause)
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07:43
Thank you very much.
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Caroline Lavelle - Cellist; singer-songwriterEqually talented on cello and vocals, Caroline Lavelle has created a performance style all her own. Her expansive talents, channeling the best of both classical and contemporary influences, have earned her comparisons to both Kate Bush and Jacqueline du Pré.
Why you should listen
Connecting the best of British chamber folk and folk rock to modern electronic music, Caroline Lavelle is frequently sought out for both her vocals and her cello playing. The genre-bridging cellist has collaborated with the likes of Peter Gabriel, Laurie Anderson, Radiohead, the Cranberries, BT, Massive Attack and William Orbit, among others (she reportedly inspired Madonna to pursue her own successful collaboration with Orbit).
In her TED performance of "Further than the Sun," Lavelle plays the cello like a sorceress casting a spell, occasionally hiding behind her wild mane of blond hair as she sings of pastoral themes. She's produced three solo albums -- A Distant Bell (2004), Brilliant Midnight (2001) and Spirit (1995) -- and is a touring member of the Chieftains.
Caroline Lavelle | Speaker | TED.com