“The most important thing a mother can teach is how to keep going, even when it hurts” is a phrase I heard once. To me, this phrase captures the essence of the new ballad “Full Moon Dark Time,” in which Canadian singer Clela Errington, born in Montreal and raised along the banks of the St. Lawrence River, sings with her daughter, jazz vocalist Jocelyn Barth. Clela Errington is the voice of Canadian nature, of life lived near water. She is the river itself, flowing into this remarkable collaboration. In “Full Moon Dark Time”, Klela and her daughter Jocelyn weave their voices together, braiding a rope of hope and pain. Their duet is a heartfelt act of love and support, capable of withstanding any trial.
The singers seem to know a portal that connects to something vast and unspeakable, something universal. When they sing together, their voices merge into one – the voice of intimacy, sorrow, and loss. In “Full Moon Dark Time”, there is a delicate precision, both aesthetic and emotional. The song is a message written in the light of the full moon. It is dedicated to Clela’s close friend, whose daughter is struggling with mental health challenges. “Hold on to life tightly,” the chorus urges, like an outstretched hand offering comfort and support. Within the context of the ballad, this line becomes a symbol of compassion and love. Set in a lilting 3/4 waltz rhythm and a gentle key, the song unfolds as a story of resilience, empathy, and light in darkness. The harmony of mother and daughter’s voices speaks of a deep familial unity that moves the listener to the core.
The violin, acoustic guitar, and the soft pulse of the bass only serve to underscore the inner strength of this minimalist yet emotionally rich composition. Here, voice, guitar, and lyrics reign. The performance video of “Full Moon Dark Time” contains no special effects. Just a dark background and two women, mother and daughter, singing one song, their attempt to reach out to the world. They stand side by side. The camera does not intrude; it witnesses. And you, too, become a witness, as if you’ve stumbled into someone else’s fragile reality, too delicate to touch, too powerful to look away from. There is no grandiosity in Clela Errington and Jocelyn Barth’s duet. Only truth. Only music. Only this: “hold on to life“.
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