Original Source: Chiswick’s Local Web site (chiswickw4.com)
Regency theme described as a mix of Taylor Swift and Jane Austen
March 26, 2024
A video for a song due to be released this April features extended scenes filmed in Chiswick House Gardens.
Fall of Passion’s new single ‘Never Gonna Let You Go’ is being presented as being part of a historical drama series with a Regency gala ball and associated intrigue.
The result is described as a combination of Taylor Swift and Jane Austen with the historical setting ultimately undercut with anachronistic period ball, complete with UV paint and LED lights, combining historical context with modern video production.
As well as Chiswick House, other locations used include Black County Park in Buckinghamshire (as featured in Harry Potter) and Porchester Hall in London. To arrange this involved negotiations with English Heritage, Historic England and Buckinghamshire County Council.
Fall of Passion is a niche art music project developed and produced by British songwriter John F. He says he aims to create music that breaks free from the shackles of standard practices and provide an immersive and unique listening experience.
When asked about the choice of Chiswick House and Gardens as a location he said, “I felt that the style of the music, especially the violins and classical element to the track, lends itself well to the Regency period. The courtyard of Chiswick House, with its backdrop of the House itself, is a stunning setting to compliment this chosen era.
“Throughout the video, not only are time shifts combined with spatial shifts, but fantasies / other dimensions are interlaced with reality. The video, along with the lyrics, does tell a story but it does not tell ‘a’ story; it is for the viewer to interpret and create their own story based on the array of possibilities they are presented with. And is any story meant to make any sense? I know mine doesn’t. “
He wrote and performed music in his teens but abandoned this for a career in academia and business, However, recently he decided to revert to his musical roots and further explore the concept of mixing the old with the new.
He says, “Just as films produced in different continents have their own style based on their culture, so do musical playing styles. For example, I found that violinists from South America play relatively lightly and lively compared to those from North America who play stronger and are more rigid in keeping time. The backbone of the track is the strings so I thought it fitting to have playing styles from different continents, contrasted with synthesized strings which I play myself. Both electric and acoustic guitars were used, as well as electronic drum samples to contrast with the primarily acoustic drum set up. Vocals were recorded using state of the art equipment but contrasted in parts by using a decades-old tape machine. “
The single’s instrumentation was largely done remotely with musicians from Italy, Brazil, India, United States, Russia, and Ukraine contributing.
Never Gonna Let You Go will be available across all platforms 15 April.