‘The Desperate Battle of the Birds’
Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 21/10/24.
Scottish International Storytelling Festival: The Desperate Battle of the Birds: Cath Gailbheach nan Eòin
James MacDonald Reid (Storyteller), Ryan Williams (Cellist).
James MacDonald Reid and Ryan Williams kicked off their run of ‘The Desperate Battle of the Birds’ with a spectacular performance at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh as part of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival. The tagline for this year’s festival is ‘Bridges Between’, reflecting the theme of connection and building bridges between cultures, traditions and arts through time. ‘The Desperate Battle of the Birds’ encapsulated this message. As an audience, we witnessed the past meet the present, as history and modernity symbolically came together and a new art form combining folktales with electronic music was created. James MacDonald Reid recounted the traditional Gaelic folk story that he had learned in his youth (told predominantly in English but with some Gaelic words dropped in throughout), bringing the element of oral tradition. Ryan Williams met this with current and trendy electronic-trad music, mixing beats and sounds to create a backdrop for quirky electric cello interludes. The pair fostered a warm atmosphere in the theatre, building an intimacy between themselves which was extended to the audience, letting us into what felt like a conversation amongst friends.
As we filed into our seats, the Netherbow Theatre filled up and I took in the atmosphere. The set consisted simply of two wooden chairs set two or three meters apart, with a small table to hold Williams’ laptop for mixing. At first sight, modernity and tradition were clashing, blatantly in contrast. Reid’s traditional highland dress was remarkably different to Williams’ smart-casual t-shirt and trouser combo. I enjoyed the contrast between Reid’s carved, wooden walking stick with Williams’ cello bow - the two were both visually and symbolically different. The sleek and simple design of the electric cello contrasted the intricacy and detail in Reid’s layers and patterns in his traditional design. To indicate the beginning of the performance, the lights dimmed - but only slightly. The audience remained lit up; we could see each other, and the performers could see us. We were a part of the storytelling experience, not detached, but active and involved spectators.
Reid’s delivery was finely executed. It was stripped back with no over-dramatisation - adept and fitting for the folktale. His words and tone painted a vivid picture in my mind, and I could visualise every aspect of the story in great detail. His words told the tale, and then came the musical interludes to inject emotion. Music holds an important position in traditional oral history and storytelling, and the innovative blend of electronic trad both held onto the established form while also facilitating a look to the future with the infusion of current, modern style. Williams expertly used the electronic dance element of his music to provide a backdrop for showcasing the cello and navigated story, emotion and tone through his work.
A personal highlight was Williams’ remixing of Reid’s voice, taking the Gaelic phrase cried by the magpies in the story. Williams looped these words, distorting the sound to fit the rising intensity in the pivotal moment of the story. Complemented with choppy cello riffs and a fingerpicking interlude, this musical moment shadowed the rising tensions. On the whole Gaelic was seamlessly woven through Reid’s delivery of the story, making it both accessible for those who did not speak Gaelic, and offering some familiarity for those who could. This specific moment in the story encapsulated the duality of past and present culture, tradition, and language, as the ancient language was remixed with electronic beats.
Ultimately, this performance bridged past and present. Story and music complemented each other back and forth in succession. I perhaps would have liked to hear them at once, and I wonder if the emotion could have been multiplied even more had the story been spoken over the cello, in particular during the moments of tension. Though having said that, I appreciated the spotlight being passed between storyteller and musician, allowing us to witness a wonderful collaboration between artforms. Reid and Williams have created an innovative and exciting piece, and it is truly a performance not to be missed! I hope to witness more of this sort of interconnected art, culture, and tradition in the future.
Photo Credits; Jess Lennon, Joly Riley
