Out of the Flames
TRACKLISTING
- Out Of The Flames*
- Ouch
- Each To Their Own*
- Come Back To Me
- Me In Yours, Darling
- Only One Decides
- Sweet And Bright
- Even After He Was Mine
- How We Spend Our Days*
* Songs written for paintings of the exhibition Hete Vuren
THE STORY
Releasedate April 22, 2023
For the exhibition Hete Vuren, Schatten uit het Rijks, Elly was invited to compose music to paintings. The result of a unique collaboration between five city museums, the Markiezenhof and the Rijksmuseum; M6. This traveling exhibition starts in Bergen op Zoom 22nd April 2023. After that it can then be seen in city museums in Harlingen, Zutphen, Gouda, Venlo and Hoorn . The Markiezenhof is the first to form a unique backdrop for the 33 new treasures from the Rijksmuseum. The exhibition of great masters, a parallel exhibition by Arsis and a varied program of activities for young and old are all connected by the theme Fire.
The Markiezenhof, the oldest city palace in the Netherlands, happens to be Elly's favorite place in Bergen op Zoom. She used to live right around the corner of it and loves the history in the city's medieval lanes and squares. Therefore it was a great honour for her to be invited to write songs to a number of paintings of the exhibition. Looking at the available artworks she was particularly inspired by three of them. Through Elly's music she expressed her own interpretation and feeling about the paintings and the theme 'fire'.
The exhibition Hete Vuren is planned from April 22, 2023 to September 3, 2023 in the Markiezenhof. When you walk through the museum with an audio tour you will be able to hear the compositions.
Elly recorded six more songs to complement the three new compositions. The full album Out Of The Flames is available as CD, digital download on this website or via any streaming platform. The official CD-release show with full band took place in Het Markiezenhof on Sunday 21 May 2023.
CREDITS
Out of the Flames was written and arranged by Elly Kellner. Elly's vocals, guitar, bass parts and the family choir were recorded in her homestudio. Drums and additional bass and guitar parts were recorded in Studio Wild Verband.
Produced by Elly Kellner with the guidance of BJ Baartmans
Mixed & mastered by BJ Baartmans in Studio Wild Verband
Elly Kellner 4-string guitar, percussion, bass guitar on tracks 3, 4, 6, 8
BJ Baartmans mandoline, 6-string guitar, 12-string guitar, electric (-slide) guitar, electric baritone guitar, bass guitar on tracks 2, 6, 7, 8
Tom Baartmans bass guitar on tracks 1 & 5
Sjoerd van Bommel drums
Carlijne, Loek, Olivia, Roos, Sarah choir on Sweet And Bright
Cover design by Elly with the kind assistance of Gertrude van der Linden
Photos of Elly by Ann Beckers
Studio photos by Elly Kellner
LYRICS & INFO
Drie generaties rondom het haardvuur - by Fons Gieles (1961)
Fons Gieles, Drie generaties rondom het haardvuur, 1961 (Collection Het Markiezenhof, Bergen op Zoom)
Painting: Three generations by the fireplace
Fons Gieles (1924 - 1995) is a household name for many citizens of Bergen op Zoom. This Dutch artist was versatile and never limited himself to material or theme; watercolor, oil paint, drawing, graphics, murals, costumes, record covers but also carnival floats.
He was immensely passionate about his town, nature, culture and faith. Gieles was also an arts teacher who taught his students to draw, paint, but especially to look closely. It is his versatility that led to him being awarded the Sakko Award for the Arts & Literature in 1982.
Elly's inspiration - Out Of The Flames
Elly: "I love the dreamyness of the phoenix in this painting. The family gathering around the fireplace seems to be deep in thought, holding on to each other, cherishing what is left after possibly experiencing loss. And then in the ashes, some movement can be seen.
Slowly, from the ashes, a tiny figure starts to appear. It tries to stand on it's own two feet. It grows and grows until a strong phoenix rises up. A sign of hope, a beacon of light. Warmth, love and perseverance will get us where we need to be. In the meantime we drink tea, hold space for one another and cherish the sparks in the fire."
Out Of The Flames
We drank our tea as we warmed our feet
And the fire was crackling and soothing
As we looked back on what we had lost
And all the things that still kept us together
I leaned in close and held your hand
Watched as the flames started dancing
Oh it's so small, oh it's so small
Came from the ashes but still beautiful
And we'll watch it grow, we'll watch it grow
Out of the flames and up it goes
Out of the flames
With warm cheeks and the lights down low
All the sparks flew, ever changing
And we remembered we must sometimes let go
How we're shifting through time, together
I leaned in close and held your hand
Watched as the flames kept on dancing
Tiny, tiny movements
Tiny, tiny, a sparkle in the dark
Tiny, tiny movements
Tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny
Warm and strong, stronger
Continues on, stronger
Warm and strong, stronger
Continues on, stronger
It's not that small, it's not that small
Came from the ashes but still beautiful
And we'll watch it grow, we'll watch it grow
Out of the flames and up it goes
Out of the flames
Came from the ashes but still beautiful
And we'll watch it grow, we'll watch it grow
Out of the flames and up it goes
Out of the flames
The flames
The flames
The flames
Elly Kellner – Vocals, 4-string guitar
BJ Baartmans – 12-string guitar, electric guitar
Sjoerd van Bommel – Drums
Tom Baartmans – Bass guitar
Verschil van Smaak - by Godfried Schalcken (1690)
Godfried Schalken, Verschil van smaak, 1690 (Collection Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam)
Painting: Differing tastes
Godfried Schalcken (1643-1706) was an artist of seduction. Internationally he was particularly known for his (sometimes erotic) scenes by candlelight. The diffuse candlelight allowed for a soft modeling of the face, giving the model an amiable and elegant impression. Godfried was truly Master of candlelight.
Elly's inspiration - Each To Their Own
Elly: "I was so drawn into this melancholy scene. The face of the young man smoking his pipe immediately demands my attention. In the background I see a man and woman sitting close to each other. The young man however sits alone.
It's fascinating; to me he seems to be either intoxicated or daydreaming the hours away, maybe both. I imagined him really wanting to lead a different life, different from how others live theirs. I saw him walking the streets at night, wandering off into the unknown and trying out new things. Things others may advice against but still following his heart."
Each To Their Own
I may sit by candlelight
In the darkness of a dimly lit room
In the darkness my longing travels on
I know what others do
In my minds eye I do those things too
But slighty different, it is possible
Others have a different pace
A different road to soldier on
As I go my melancholy way
I'm not alone, each to their own
I'm not alone, each to their own
I may roam the streets at night
In the darkness by the light of the moon
In the darkness my thoughts travel on
I dream wide awake, I dream
In my minds eye I see
Nothing's impossible, it is possible
Others have a different pace
A different road to soldier on
As I go my melancholy way
I'm not alone, each to their own
I'm not alone, each to their own
I'm not alone, each to their own
Each to their own
Elly Kellner – Vocals, 4-string guitar, bass guitar
BJ Baartmans – Electric guitar, guitar soundscape
Sjoerd van Bommel – Drums
Boereninterieur - by Jozef Israëls (ca. 1882)
Jozef Israëls, Boereninterieur, 1882 (Collection Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam)
Painting: Peasant interior
Jozef Israëls (1824-1911) favourite subject was man and the difficult life path. He first depicted this in large-scale paintings about the national history, but soon discovered the simple existence of fishermen and farmers offered just as many opportunities to show the fate of humanity. It resulted in paintings in which deep human sympathy, sorrow and mournful loneliness are the actual subject.
Not only was Jozef admired by his contemporaries, the young generation of artists also idolized him. Amond them Vincent van Gogh, who was inspired by Israëls' fishing scenes for his famous work The Potato Eaters.
Elly's inspiration - How We Spend Our Days
Elly: "Anybody who knows me, knows I adore cats. I have a cat and he's 14 years old, he suffers from arthritis. I myself have chronic pain and that's where the inspiration came in for this song.
Although this artwork has quite muddy colours and the fire is almost going out, it still speaks to me. I see an old man packing his pipe and a black cat with white paws drinking from a dish. They're just going about their day. Even if every day is the same, over and over, even if they have aches, they still enjoy each others company. Pondering the days gone by, in the end not wanting for more."
How We Spend Our Days
They say I'm old, I guess it's true
They say I'm old and the same goes for you
Yet there's air in our lungs
And a light that twinkles in our eyes
You sleep all day, sometimes I do too
You sleep all day but keep me up all night
When the fire's gone out
You come and lay yourself down
Come and curl up with your black fur
And your paws so white
I think we're alright
I think we're alright
Are you dreaming Tom, cause you're making a fuss
Are you dreaming Tom, was the dream about us
Were we running around the house
Enjoying the sun, like we'd just begun
Now tell me, did you catch the mouse
Is your body sore, a bit like mine
Is your body sore and does it get worse over time
In the wintertime, by the fireplace
You got your milk and I'll have a slice of bread
I pack my pipe and that is that
It's how we spend our days
It's how we spend our days
Are you dreaming Tom, cause you're making a fuss
Are you dreaming Tom, was the dream about us
Were we running around the house
Enjoying the sun, like we'd just begun
Now tell me, did you catch the mouse
Tell me did you catch the mouse
Did you catch it
Elly Kellner – Vocals, 4-string guitar
BJ Baartmans – Electric guitar
Ouch
Somedays you wanna start a war
Somedays you just wanna go home
Somedays you wanna hold on tight
Somedays you just wanna let go
Cover your head and pretend you're not there
It's not as if anybody else cares
Oh it can be so cold, dreary and dark in our own heart
Ouch
Ouch
Somedays you wanna build a bridge
And somedays wanna burn them all
Somedays you wanna push on through
And somedays just give up
Cover your head and pretend you're not there
It's not as if anybody else cares
Oh it can be so cold, dreary and dark in our own heart
Ouch
Ouch
Elly Kellner – Vocals, 4-string guitar
BJ Baartmans – Electric baritone guitar, bass guitar
Come Back To Me
Come back to me
Come colourful and rosy
Come as you were
As you pleased me the most
Come back to me
Be the whisper that I'm hearing
Be brutal or endearing
Come as you are
I missed you
I thought I'd be okay
But I missed you
I let go of you, never thought of you
Till this past week suddenly
You returned in my mind
In my mind
Come back to me
Warm me with the ease
Of how you can please me
Warm me, never leave me
Build the fire up
And let us melt
Into each other
I missed you
I thought I'd be okay
But I missed you
I let go of you, never thought of you
Till this past week suddenly
You returned in my mind
In my mind
In my mind
In my mind
Elly Kellner – Vocals, 4-string guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar
BJ Baartmans – Electric slide guitar
Sjoerd van Bommel – Drums
Me In Yours, Darling
Happy, happy
Just to see you
Just to watch you be yourself
Happy, happy
Just to hear you
Call out my name
It sounds better that way
Happy, happy
Just to know you
Can be at ease when I'm around
Happy, happy
Just to hold you
And my arms are happy, happy
Cause they found you in there
You in my arms and me in yours, darling
You in my arms and me in yours
You in my arms and me in yours, darling
You in my arms and me in yours
Happy, happy
Just to be here
Just to sit and hold your hand
Happy, happy
To be quiet
No words could say
What I'm feeling for you
You in my arms and me in yours, darling
You in my arms and me in yours
You in my arms and me in yours, darling
You in my arms and me in yours
You in my arms and me in yours, darling
You in my arms and me in yours
You in my arms and me in yours, darling
You in my arms and me in yours
Elly Kellner – Vocals, 4-string guitar
BJ Baartmans – 12-string guitar
Sjoerd van Bommel – Drums
Tom Baartmans – Bass guitar
Only One Decides
Oh the lonely road, lonely road
Just how steep it goes nobody knows
When you're by yourself, by yourself
Only you control the pace, nobody else
Only one decides, just how far
Only one decides, how high
Only one decides, where to stop
And when to give up
Oh the distant shores, distant shores
Do we travel on and still want more
When we're by ourself, by ourselves
Can we be content with all we have
Only one decides, just how far
Only one decides, how high
Only one decides, where to stop
And when to give up
Elly Kellner – Vocals, 4-string guitar, percussion, bass guitar
BJ Baartmans – Additional bass guitar (outro)
Sjoerd van Bommel – Drums
Sweet And Bright
Oh the mothers and fathers
How they cradle their children
From the crib to the prom
From dusk till dawn
And they read them the stories
And they sing lullabies in the night
Sweet and bright
The children are molded
Into beautiful creatures
Who have learned to stay open
And show how they feel
And now they lead by example
And go forward, like beacons of light
Sweet and bright
Goodnight, sleep tight
Don't let the bedbugs bite
May your dreams be sweet and bright
Goodnight, sleep tight
Don't let the bedbugs bite
May your dreams be sweet and bright
When the tables are turning
The hands get more wrinkly
Everyone gathers cause everyone cares
And those who held onto life
May now rise like a star in the night
And a small part of us will go with them
And they'll be alright
Sweet and bright
Goodnight, sleep tight
Don't let the bedbugs bite
May your dreams be sweet and bright
Goodnight, sleep tight
Don't let the bedbugs bite
May your dreams be sweet and bright
May your dreams be sweet and bright
May your dreams be sweet and bright
Elly Kellner – Vocals, 4-string guitar
BJ Baartmans – Bass guitar, mandoline
Sjoerd van Bommel – Drums
Choir – Carlijne, Loek, Olivia, Roos, Sarah
Even After He Was Mine
He stepped into my dark
And brought his little light
I held on to his smile
Even after he was mine
Even after he was mine
Even after he was mine
His footsteps so closeby
A different storyline
Another road, a sudden way
Of stepping into the light
Even after he was mine
Even after he was mine
So swiftly
So fleetingly
So swiftly on the earth
The shortest time we had
The longest life to memorize
Even after he was mine
Even after he was mine
Even after he was mine
So swiftly
So fleetingly
So swiftly
So fleetingly
Elly Kellner – Vocals, 4-string guitar, bass guitar
BJ Baartmans – Electric guitar, additional bass guitar
Sjoerd van Bommel – Drums