VIrtue & VIrtuosity
Sixth iCE KiNG album, released as Compact Disc in 2017, as well as digitally

All epics are being performed still, in a variety of ways







VIrtue

I. Tristram - The Message (I) and the Menace (II)
Guitar and vocals composed by Bas L.G. Verdin
Verses included from "Tristram and Iseult" by Matthew Arnold (1822-1888)

II. Montjoie! - Betrayal (I) and Bravery (II)
Guitar and vocals composed by Bas L.G. Verdin
Verses included from "The Song of Roland" (traditional)
(Later recording on TWiCE KiNG)

Instrumental Speech I:
(Instrumental Speech II on TWiCE KiNG, III on Splendid Iceolation and IV on Eleventh Elevation)

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III. Kingdom Come
Guitar composed by Bas L.G. Verdin

IV. Metafusion III A
Guitar composed by Bas L.G. Verdin
(Metafusion III B and IV below [and on TWiCE KiNG], I and II on Victory iV, and V and VI on Eleventh Elevation)


VIrtuosity

V. Metafusion III B
Guitar composed by Bas L.G. Verdin
(Metafusion III A above, IV below [and on TWiCE KiNG], I and II on Victory iV, and V and VI on Eleventh Elevation)

VI. Metafusion IV
Guitar composed by Bas L.G. Verdin, including small references to Edvard Hagerup Grieg (1843-1907)
(Later recording on TWiCE KiNG)
(Metafusion III above, I and II on Victory iV, and V and VI on Eleventh Elevation)
(Another wink to Grieg with "Elysäischer Held" on Gallus X)

VII. Romance Dance - Overture (I) and Overstep (II)
Guitar composed by Bas L.G. Verdin

VIII. Marching Against the Times
Guitar composed by Bas L.G. Verdin
(Marching Against the Times II on Gallus X)

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Booklet painting: "Le Songe d'Ossian" (3rd century warrior-bard, feat. Snow King) by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780-1867)
(Other art of Ossian on Gallus X)

Simultaneous projections of paintings, live or online, respectively:
II. "Paysage avec la Mort de Roland" by Achille Etna Michallon (1796-1822)
III. "View of the City of Edinburgh" by Alexander Nasmyth (1758-1840)
IV. "The Ancient of Days - Urizen measuring out the material world" by William Blake (1757-1827)
V. "Death on a Pale Horse" by William Blake (1757-1827)
VI. "Sunset in the Yosemite Valley" by Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902)



"My sixth long-player as iCE KiNG sounds the most of all, not like the score for a costume play, but like a costume play in itself without a screen. The general décor for the musical drama thereby created, evolves from (the nearly forgotten) virtue to virtuosity indeed. Again, recordings have been kept as live, real and true as possible. A bard is known for storytelling, and iCE KiNG is not an exception in this, but in my opinion this can be done both by voice and by instrument, and that is where iCE KiNG is an exception. Earlier, I have released instrumental songs sporadically, here we get a whole sequence (in addition to historical and historic poems sung). On this album in the 'guitar hero' genre let us say, with a life of its own: Instrumental Speech I. To be continued thus, while some of the epics are also a sequel to previous ones. For some reason or another, the language of (certain) music is always there to guide me where words or other virtual - not virtuous or virtuoso - things fail..."