Picture: Tommy Ga Ken Wan
A Mother’s Song was reviewed at the Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
This highly original musical traces the migration of folk music, primarily from Scotland and Ulster to the Appalachians in America. The opening prologue weaves together rhythms, voices and movements that span the generations, creating a spine-tingling harmonious sound. From here, we meet Betty (Melanie Bell) who revels in her heritage of songs and stories that she grew up with in America.
Her niece, Sarah (Bethany Tennick) and her girlfriend Alix (Tinashe Warikandwa) are just moving into their first apartment together in Brooklyn. Sarah inherited a box some years ago from her Aunt Betty. This box has made several moves with the couple, unopened. With encouragement from Alix, Sarah finally steels herself to open it.
Betty has filled the box with the stories of the traditional songs and how they came across the ocean to American shores and then onwards to the Appalachian Mountains. Sarah is almost immediately caught up in the life stories of her ancestors and the songs that coloured their lives as she listens to her aunt on a series of cassette tapes.
Two characters’ stories are used to illustrate the travels of Sarah’s ancestors. The first is Cait (Kirsty Findlay) who travelled to America with her husband, Jamie, a minister (Craig Hunter). The second, Jean (Blythe Jandoo) is keen to travel away from Belfast, so she can bring up her child on her own.
The music and voices are exceptional. Finn Anderson’s score skilfully blends the traditional songs with his contemporary melodic pieces that stitch together the ancient and modern styles with an understated progression. The musical arrangements were created with the band: Shonagh Murray (keys and musical director), Jenny Clifford (guitar), Signy Jakobsdottir (drums/percussion) and Laura Wilkie (viola).
Each of the principal characters are on the cusp of motherhood. In the present, Sarah longs for a child, but her partner is definitely against the idea. Cait feels too young yet to be tied by motherhood, but Jamie is impatient for his family to begin. Jean is already expecting and is alone as the sailor has long since left Ireland. Her sister, Shona, becomes caught up in her plight and runs off with her to America.
Kirsty Findlay has such a fine voice that brings her songs to life while charming Jamie and the entire audience. When her voice is blended with those of Sarah and Jean across their stories it’s impossible not to feel moved by the beauty and power.
The lone male member of the cast, Hunter is a master of accents with a stage presence and singing voice that balances the female characters and vocals admirably.
Both historical stories are beautifully told and are profoundly moving. The storytelling and design work hand in hand in this detailed and considered production. Anderson and Tania Azevedo’s plot ranges back and forwards through time, yet still has a central driving narrative (Azevedo also directs). Aided by Emma Bailey’s set and costume design this is an exquisite piece of theatre that must have a future somewhere.
The notion of songs living on becomes very clear, that they need to be sung to new generations with a sense of continuity in passing the music on. As Aunt Betty exclaims: “Singing with all the voices who came before you. That’s kinda wonderful.”
Indeed it is.
Fiona Orr
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