Twelfth Day is the meeting of violinist Catriona Price and harpist Esther Swift, two classically-trained musicians who have been honing their understanding and pushing their sound into a fertile ground between pop, folk and classical for a decade now. Today they return with a new song called “Fact of Life”, a beautiful ode to the harsh realities of life. They say:
“Once the uncomfortable complexities are revealed, we can all learn from them and take them forward as lessons for our own lives. They remind us of the power of vulnerability, and that confronting the difficult moments in life almost always makes us stronger.”
That meditative and equanimous personality displayed in the above quote comes into pirouetting and sparkling life in “Fact of Life” – though it’s not all sunshine and roses. With their voices conjoined as if one singular entity, they stare down memories and moments that have caused pain, but use their instruments and voices to heighten them to proclamations of life’s preciousness. They whisper about a cryptic “five decade family secret” and more poignantly, especially considering Esther’s recent loss of her grandfather, commit to “celebrate the day you left us as the day you came.” By the end of “Fact of Life”, what started as a demure and moody atmosphere full of sharp scrapes has flourished into a bright and euphoric bouquet of melodicism that really brings into focus Twelfth Day’s growth through pain. Let us all hope we can be as gracious as this in our times of struggle.
The video for “Fact of Life” was directed by BAFTA-award-winning filmmaker Hannah Currie. Watch it below.
“Fact of Life” is out via Orange Feather Records. You can find Twelfth Day on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
They are celebrating the release of the single with a live streamed party tonight – tickets here.
