Tonight we witness something very special; one of a handful of UK performances of Hadestown, the folk opera developed over the past 4 years by Anaïs Mitchell and a host of helpers from Vermont, USA. The resulting album was one of 2010’s best; magnificent in scope and ambition, it showcased truly fantastic performances by such illustrious guests as Ani DiFranco, Greg Brown and Ben Knox Miller of The Low Anthem. Stealing the show was Justin Vernon of Bon Iver fame, cementing his reputation as one the most talented and interesting artists of modern times.
The Fruitmarket glimmers with anticipation this evening, the perfect setting for a trip to the underworld. The 15-strong band take their place while Mary Ann Kennedy, the grand dame of Celtic Connections, reads the libretto.
Hadestown transports the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice to a post-apocalyptic, Depression-era America. Eurydice is seduced by Hades and leaves the hardship of the Earth’s surface for the comfort of Hadestown; the walled city under the ground. Orpheus, her lover, sets off to win her back. Sneaking into Hadestown, he finds himself in a speakeasy owned by Persephone, Hade’s rebellious wife. There he is discovered and imprisoned. As an uprising occurs in Hadestown, Eurydice regrets her decision and Persephone pleads with her husband to let the lovers go. Hades agrees on the condition that Orpheus must walk several steps ahead of Eurydice and not look back until they reach the surface. At the last moment, unable to bear the torment, Orpheus looks behind him, losing his love forever. As the tale draws to a close, Eurydice and Persephone sing a reverse elegy to Orpheus.
From the first pluck of the double bass we slide gently into another world. As she opens her mouth, Anaïs becomes Eurydice. Watching this unfold live not only clarifies the plot, but draws you into the heart of the tragedy. The crowd remains still as the various characters sing to each other of love, hate, and hardship. The twists and turns of the story creep up on you and strike with a poetic flourish rather than the clunk you might expect. It is easy to forget when listening to the record for the umpteenth time what an unusual and complex narrative it is that binds these songs together. Ms Mitchell is probably the youngest and least experienced of the many musicians around her tonight. In the two or three records that make up her back catalogue there is little to suggest anything quite like this. Constructing a consistent and moving song of 3 minutes is beyond the realms of possibility for most, and what a huge leap from that to 50 minutes of gorgeous music, thematic exploration and delicate plotting. She simply cannot wipe the grin from her face, conducting her band with a flash of the eyes and the twist of the hips. She is at the very centre of this epic and all credit to her.
Beneath the words, musical director Michael Chorney’s glittering orchestral arrangements flutter and sigh, setting the pace and stretching the tempo with extreme sensitivity. Endowed with a poise and grace, they are nothing short of beautiful from start to finish. Chorney embellishes these songs with a skill and restraint that transforms their charm into something utterly enchanting. This pairing of Mitchell and Chorney is key to Hadestown’s success.
Anaïs has a gift for bringing people together. The assembled cast exude that proud, gang mentality of a group who know they’re onto something good. Miller – looking rather sheepish tonight – reprises his role as Hermes. His raspy vocal is a cool counterpoint to the smooth tones of his godlier companions. The other familiar voice from the album is Ani DiFranco, sparkling tonight as Persephone. The grit, strength and attitude of the character pour straight from DiFranco herself. For Hade’s wife, dealer in contraband and rogue element within the walled city, there could be no one more appropriate. Once again I am struck by her talent as a singer. She fully inhabits her role, striking every note and nuance without fault. Standing head and shoulders above the rest, her charisma carries the audience single-handedly as her companions stay rather cool.
We all knew Justin Vernon probably wasn’t going to make it to Glasgow tonight and I felt sympathy for whoever might have to fill his shoes. Yet Iain Morrison, hailing from Lewis, was a letdown several steps below my expectations. Nobody expected him to try and emulate Vernon’s voice, only to play the part of Orpheus, father of songs. To start with he sang the part a whole octave below the vocal on the record and did so in that cringingly contrived, dramatic style, breaking his voice in pointless places so as to make half the words unintelligible. Orpheus is supposed to be the dreamy poet who makes others weep with his soothing tones, not some blubbering ponce. Frowning in an artistically troubled sort of way, Morrison kept himself controlled, sucking any spontaneity or heart out of the character. I hate to have to criticise, but this cold pretension from one of the only Scottish artists participating tonight was as embarrassing as it was irritating.
Martin Carthy, a giant of English folk music takes on the role of Hades himself. Charming and humble he may be, but it seems as though he has lost the ability to carry a tune. Like many elderly singers – Lou Reed for example – he appears to have reached a certain age and lost both his sense of timing and the capacity to change notes. Such a large part of the record had to do with the dynamic between Hades and Orpheus, their voices several octaves apart. Carthy, similarly to Morrison, sang his part an octave above the performance on record, bringing himself into the same register as Orpheus and thus eliminating that distinction between light and darkness.
Yet while it would be untruthful not to mention these two points, they do little to weaken the power of the overall experience. Nuala Kennedy, Wallis Bird and Sharon Lewis make a wonderful trio of Fates, pitching the tone perfectly between bitchy and persuasive.
The strength and staying power of each individual song is what holds this whole show together. Special mention must be made of ‘Why We Build The Wall,’ surely one of the most deftly constructed and downright clever songs of recent memory. Best of all this evening is ‘Our Lady Of The Underground,’ a delicious showcase for DiFranco who sneers her way through it with undisguised relish.
Watching this performed as a complete piece I can’t help but feel struck once again by the power of this music I have heard a hundred times. Anaïs Mitchell’s achievement – unprecedented in folk music – is truly startling. Her pride is evident in the glances passed between her and every person on that stage and that beaming grin she tries her best to suppress.
As this sad story draws to a close the band leave to a standing ovation, returning for a quick stomp through ‘Way Down Hadestown.’ Ever modest, our lady Anaïs dodges her moment in the limelight but this young woman has created something very special; a work that will be remembered for years to come. It is difficult to overstate just how lucky Glasgow is to have hosted tonight’s trip to Hadestown. It certainly won’t be happening again anytime soon. Take my advice: go out and buy a copy of the album and watch what this young lady does next.
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