A New Album & Book · Coming 2026–2027
The Bell & the Bard
The collected songs of Steve Bell and the poet Malcolm Guite — seventeen songs written together between 2011 and 2026, gathered at last into one project.
The Project
One collection, fifteen years in the making
Steve Bell met the English poet Malcolm Guite at a conference in England in 2011. They became friends, and ever since they have been writing songs together — seventeen in all, scattered across Steve’s albums. This fall and into the new year, they gather them into a single new recording: The Bell & the Bard — the collected songs of Steve Bell and Malcolm Guite, 2011–2026, including two brand-new songs recorded for the collection.
The Album
The Bell & the Bard
Seventeen songs of longing, lament and glad surprise — from Keening for the Dawn to Descent — brought together for the first time, remastered and newly recorded. The album releases alongside a companion book, with more details on both to come.
Listen
The Songs
A preview player and a lyrics page for each song are on the way. Sample tracks below.
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01
Keening for the Dawn
4:12
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02
Descent
3:48
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03
A Lovely Long for Blue
4:35
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04
The Glad Surprise
3:57
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05
Ah Freedom
5:02
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06
Bright Field
4:20
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07
Come Down (new)
3:30
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08
Kindling (new)
4:08
Placeholder tracklist and audio for this proof of concept. Each title will open its own lyrics page.
The Bell & the Bard
Steve Bell — the Bell
Juno Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter with a body of work spanning more than three decades. Steve’s songs have long carried the voices of poets — none more so than his friend and collaborator Malcolm Guite.
Malcolm Guite — the Bard
English poet, priest and singer-songwriter, known for his sonnets and his writing on faith and imagination. Since meeting Steve in 2011, Malcolm has co-written seventeen songs that form the heart of this collection.
The Book
Keening & Kindling
The Bell, the Bard, and Redemptive Imagination — by Brian J. Walsh
Alongside the album comes a book by Canadian theologian Brian J. Walsh — author of Kicking at the Darkness (Bruce Cockburn) and Rags of Light (Leonard Cohen). This is not a review or an appreciation. Walsh uses the songs as a springboard for his own theological work, putting new frames around them and drawing out what even the writers didn’t know was there.
Support the Project
Help bring The Bell & the Bard to life
Recording, manufacturing and marketing this album and book will cost roughly $60,000. There are two ways to help — and every gift moves the project forward.
In Canada
Give through Steve’s support site and receive a tax receipt. For every gift of $100 or more, we’ll send you the book and CD when they’re ready.
Outside Canada
Supporters in the US, UK and elsewhere can give through GoFundMe. Search “The Bell and the Bard” to find the campaign.