Reclaiming
the Myths of Dartmoor is a new project to research, design and perform an
evening of story, song and music. It is inspired by the old ways on Dartmoor
when the moor men and women would gather around the peat fires of a dark winter
evening to tell tales and play their music. The idea is not just to faithfully
represent the old material, but to use it as a sounding board for new work which
makes a leap forward in its language, both text and music.
Five performances took place between 21 February and 6 March 2004. The shows were free and were funded by a Tarka Country Millennium Award, which is also providing funds for publicity and research of stories and songs.
Susan Taylor and Simon Williams, who are co-ordinating the project have a keen interest in the universality of folk tales and songs, and run a monthly gathering at The Tradesman’s Arms in Scoriton, Devon, where moor people and visitors tell tales, poems and perform a variety of music.
For Reclaiming the Myths, Susan and
Simon are joined by musicians Howard Frey and Julia Thomas who perform and
arrange traditional music on guitar, mandolin, English concertina, whistle,
recorder, Leicestershire small pipes and piano. Stories cover
superstitions, witches and ghosts with a dash of pixy revelry to lighten the
entertainment. The songs and music are mainly traditional with one or two
new pieces composed especially for the shows.
All in all, the performance aim to deliver a true-to-nature blend of the
culture, landscape and history of a region which are emblematic to people on
the moor and beyond.
Scoriton
Farmhouse, Scoriton, Buckfastleigh, Devon TQ11 0JB
Telephone 01364 631506
This project is funded by the Tarka Country Millennium Awards,
which are partially funded with lottery money through the Millennium Commission.