Music, the art of time.

Posted on February 17, 2019

I begin at the end.

So much work went into this series of performances, from the acorn of the idea, to the standing ovation at The South Bank. Above, Adam and Caroline of Folk by the Oak, having a well earned hug.

The journey to Snape was long, made longer by high winds the night before that closed the road out of Pembrokeshire. We travelled the land, collecting musicians, Beth Porter and Kris Drever in Peterborough, Karine Polwart and Rachel Newton in Cambridge, along with guitars, harp, cello, and various other creatures. 12 hours from departure we arrived at Snape. Jim Molyneux and Julie Fowlis were already there, Seckou arrived at midnight, and the following day saw the band rehearsing, and me also as I tried to remember ow to paint, accompanied by fine river music.

This was the first time we had seen the banners, designed by Alison O’Toole from my images, huge, framing the screen where the painting would be projected, the first performance for the Spellsongs. And though it seemed that to put together such a piece in 4/5 days, followed by the same recording, was fast, the musicians have each a lifetime of learning that enables this, and the understanding of listening, co-operation, collaboration. And to gather the venues, that has taken time too, such a intricate feat by Neil Pearson of Sounds Just Fine.

There was an edge in the air that first day. The Maltings is the most beautiful venue. While the musicians went through rehearsals I spoke to a school, who by coincidence were visiting the venue. They had been studying the Seal Children for myth and magic and were moving on to nature and the natural world, via The Lost Words. Outside the wind made patterns dance in the reeds. Inside they were full of questions.

Later, with the hall full, the musicians filled the world with music, flashed kingfishers across the stage, wove a haunting ghost owl into being and more and more. I watched in the first half, all nerves swept away by the music, sitting next to James Mayhew and Antonio and Robin, then took the stage at the interval, ground and refreshed the ink and spelled a pair of otters onto paper.

The audience had come together in faith, not knowing what they would experience. All venues by this time were sold out, but not a note had found its way into the public domain. And how utterly moving to see them rise to their feet at the end of this, the first performance.

In Birmingham the view from the hotel was so urban. I almost didn’t make the performance, as just after the talk at the beginning my sight was stolen by migraine. So I spent the first half back stage in semi darkness, breathing deeply, listening to the music, trying to get a grip. I had family in the audience, didn’t want to let them down.

The thing about sitting on the stage during the interval is that you get some time to look back at the audience. Birmingham Town Hall is a beautiful building.

All of the staff at all of the venues looked after us mightily well.

Alison had made beautiful gold silhouettes of my work, very similar to the ‘gold soul’ remnants that are created when I am gilding. Andy Bell, the visionary mixer of sounds, owner of Hudson Records, where some of the finest music of our age can be found, had brought into the mix Ben Dave, ‘the man with two first names’, to handle the smooth running of the visuals. He did far more than that, carefully projecting images of the singers into the space allowed by Alison’s designs. Amazing, hypnotic. We have plans for something different in Hay, where the next performance will be.

In Manchester, at the Royal Northern College of Music we found again a warm welcome. The stage manager found me two wonderful jars of water for cleaning my brushes. Each day a few more things crept out of my bag, onto the table. A raven’s feather, acorn cups. In London, the bone of a grey seal.

There’s a moment in the show when there’s one more song left. It’s a blessing, following a wonderful musical tradition. It’s formed from Rob’s words, shaped with the music, carries a healing, threads deep into the soul. All of this music will stay with me my whole life. I can’t separate a bit out. I’ve never wanted a funeral before at the end of my life, and I guess I still don’t. But I want the whole show! Not just one song. Wouldn’t that be a thing! ( No plans on making this happen any time soon but you never know).

In Manchester I had the inevitable ink disaster. I was using sumi ink, which was designed centuries ago for scribes to travel with, and it can’t spill, as it’s a solid block. I’d gathered by painting tools in my beautiful leather bag, and when I lifted it there was a dark pool on the stage! (So glad beyond words this wasn’t Snape) I know now that I can make two otters dance with the ink I grind so don’t need the back up. But I think I will get a bigger stone, just in case. Robin put the ink from the leaking bottle into a water container……

And so to London, and The South Bank, where a busker played the Bach Variations as I walked across the bridge where the world was made pewter in the city light. Last day. I’d already cried 4 times.

There’s a review of this final performance here and Folk Roots UK, with beautiful photographs from Elly Lucas.

I’m not sure now how I will paint without this band to draw the images from my brush. Luckily I have a rough copy of the music to sustain me, I have their other music to keep me sane. So much of the book was painted listening to them play, it was such a curious place to find myself, on stage, with them. Seems unreal now. For the last performance I stayed where I was, doodling while they played, marvelling at how different the sound was back here. I’d placed the otters on the ground and was trying to paint seven finches ( our eighth member of the band had been unable to accompany us, but we hope, oh we hope, yes, so much we hope that she will be well, and with us for Hay.

Seven finches flew. I sat back, listened to the Blessing.

The four inked otters are for sale. Manchester, Birmingham and Snape for £1000 each, and London £1500. The money will go towards working with music in schools. Each is 75 x 56cms on Two Rivers paper, which has a beautiful snag. Different versions of the paper, different colours.

Snape Otters, a frollick and splash, Sumi ink and river water. Sold.
Birmingham otters, River Dancers, Sumi ink and river water. £1000 Sold
Manchester otter, also known as the Jazz Otter, as I thought I had just worked out, after many otters, how to do it properly! £1000 email me to secure
South Bank Otters, Tail tipped River Dancers, in Sumi ink, but not river water, as the Thames does not look at all inviting.
£1 500 Email me to secure.

Thank you to all who came. I know that many of you travelled far. A huge thank you to Caroline and Adam, and also to Simon Prosser, who welcomed our idea in 2015. It was a joy that you could be in the audience on Tuesday eve. And to the legend that is Robin Stenham, who looked after us all very well.

For more on the Spellsingers have a look at the Lost Words website. If you need a new soundtrack in your life these are your people, if you know them already, then you are wise.

In these dark times we are living through, the striving to make beauty, drawing towards the light, becomes an act of rebellion.

I’m told that the thing that made one member of the audience cry most was when I took off my glasses, put them down on the paper and Ben panned back the camera. ‘The frail human and the frail bird together’. No artifice, just an accidental act of placement. Sometimes that is where art lives.

17 responses to “Music, the art of time.”

  1. Sarah Blenkinsop says:

    It was absolutely wonderful to be in the audience at Birmingham Town Hall. Magical to see and hear the Spell Singers, and watch you conjour up an Otter x

  2. Trish Kelly says:

    I was at the Manchester concert. One of the most beautiful and transporting experiences I’ve had. More than one of my group were moved to tears. Will be at Folk by the Oak in July and can’t wait. Thank you so much to Jackie and all of the musicians for bringing us such beauty xxx❤️xxx

  3. F LIMBURn says:

    Lost words, conjured back with spellbinding words and painting. I cannot express how wonderful this whole evening was. I bawled during the final lullaby. I hope my eight year old daughter, who was with me, will not be the last generation to witness the creatures and plants that were sung about. I loved your statement ‘but I can paint’-such a powerful message in today’s work of shallow depths on YouTube! Thank you thank you thank you and we will see you in hay!

    • Jackie says:

      I can paint. It’s almost all I’ve ever wanted to do. It gets harder every day….but some days it flows. I like hose days. I even begin to like the days so filled with errors, where the learning happens.

  4. John Ward says:

    What a marvellous thing to have instigated! Wherever will it end, I wonder? Perhaps never.
    Magic!

  5. Anne Harwood says:

    I saw he Birmingham performance- it was magical. I hope there will be more opportunities to experience this again.

  6. Anne Dunn says:

    We were at Snape. Such a lovely show. Looking forward to Folk by the Oak, where I hope Kerry will make it, I was sad to miss seeing her, the only musician of the project who I haven’t seen live (though I do have her CD). My grandson, age just 7, is not very academic, but he loves drawing. He tells me he wants to be an artist. I hope he gets what he wants. Thank you for all the beautiful images and for inspiring the music. x

    • Jackie says:

      Tell him to keep drawing, if drawing is what he does. And keep his mind sharp as can be. There are many ways to be clever. Passing exams is one. But that’s not what learning is all about. And looking for new ways and challenging the old, that’s where creativity lives, thrives.

  7. Barb Rogers says:

    A sigh, a wish to say thanks – from the other side of the pond, from someone not going to concerts, but listening to music. I appreciate you, your beautiful work, and the way you’ve dedicated yourself to these sweet precious otters and birds, and all of nature that needs protection. How great of you to stop and put a blog together after doing all that performance art. If it weren’t for the internet, I wouldn’t know, I couldn’t see. So it has it’s uses!

  8. Bernie Bell says:

    Re. your Tweet….
    Peace can, and does, endure.
    John Lennon’s song, endures.
    “All we are saying…is give peace a chance….”
    “Imagine………..”

    https://theorkneynews.scot/2019/02/14/swedish-explorer-becomes-a-non-violence-ambassador/

  9. Kay Hedges says:

    Totally blown away at the Birmingham concert. Spellbound and longing to buy the otters you conjured up for us that night. What a lasting memory, full of feeling we were gifted that night. Long may it continue. X

  10. Bernie Bell says:

    I was looking at the picture, here, and it occurred to me what a brave thing that was for you to do – standing on a stage, painting. Something you usually do at home, or out in nature. Musicians are used to it, probably still a bit nervous each time, but they get used to it. For you to do such a personal thing, so publicly, was very brave.
    I salute you, Jackie.

  11. Bernie Bell says:

    Brave – why foolish? Naaaaaaaa. Brave.

  12. Dino Queal says:

    Each acrostic spell has 3 accompanying artworks by Jackie Morris a glorious triptych of watercolour 6A4 painting firstly a clever but solemn display of the creature or plant s absence from our world, then there is the spell itself accompanied by an icon-esque self portrait of the central character surrounded with sumptuous gold leaf, and finally the creature or plant is depicted embedded in its natural habitat.

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