"...a fascinating concert, beautifully crafted and illustrated.." ARTS IN AUTUMN, 2010
Joe Murray : Vocals, Banjo, Keyboard, Guitar
David Murray : Vocals, Guitar
Karen McCabe : Vocals, Guitar
Mary Lou Graham : Cello
Joe Warburton : Bass
All of the songs in this concert are at least 100 years old and they chronicle many aspects of human experience - yet they deal with surprisingly modern topics and social justice issues. Woven together, they chart a thought-provoking course from the cradle to the grave - and beyond!
It's an eclectic mix of songs, sensitively delivered. Old traditional Scots, Irish and English ballads, some dating back 500 years or more, some adapted by emigrant groups to their new lives in Australia, Canada, the Appalachians and elsewhere.
These are imaginatively woven together with quirky and offbeat songs from the theatres, dance-halls, public houses and churches of 19th century Britain and America.
Some of the songs are joyful, some humourous, some bittersweet, some dark and uncomfortable – but they all have interesting and intriguing histories. And a tapestry of atmospheric slides and projected images helps to tell the stories behind them.
Shakespeare's 7 Ages of Man catalogues the stages of man's lifespan from infancy to old age. Taken together, the songs in this concert chart a similar thought- provoking course - from the Cradle to the Grave - and beyond.