The village and the road
Credit Kim Ayres
‘The great thinning’ was a term coined by environmental journalist Michael McCarthy, to describe the loss of so many of the birds which once so delighted visitors to the British countryside. The Village and The Road i s a response to another 'great thinning'. For the first time in human history there are more people living in cities than in the countryside, many, especially the young, are taking the road out of their villages.
The Village and The Road is a collaboration with words from celebrated writer Tom Pow, and music from The Galloway Agreement, a new quartet of well-known traditional musicians Wendy Stewart (harp, voice), Ruth Morris (nyckelharpa), Gavin Marwick (fiddle) and Stuart Macpherson (double bass).
As Pow draws on his travels to create the narrative, so The Galloway Agreement draw on their wide experiences of the musical traditions of Europe to enlarge the landscape and to drive the narrative; adding both drama and poignancy to the story. The Village and The Road leaves a deep appreciation of the emotional landscape of village life, and the roads that lead out of them.
The Village and The Road will be developed in 2019 to include theatrical direction and slow film projections to create a layered, rich and emotive experience. Following the performance there will be a ceilidh, in the traditional sense; an informal sharing of music and stories and an opportunity to discuss the issues raised.