Singing & Rewriting

Today Faolan and Stephen were up in Coleraine with us, crammed into the "studio" that is the spare room, working on the songs.  We worked on getting the tune down, huddled around the accoustic guitar, then moved out into the living room to stretch our legs and hear what things sounded like when we could actually stand up-right, especially Faolan who had to unfold himself like a complicated piece of origami.  A stop for some gossip and lunch and then back upstairs for more songs and a chance to listen to a clip of James Joyce reading Finegan's Wake for Stephen, who has to play Joyce as an 8 year old in our version of the Nativity, written by Joyce, Heaney and Doyle, with special guest Oscar Wilde appearing as the donkey....

Donkey: "I have nothing to declare but my genius"

Mary: "smart ass"

We have done more work on the Gaelculator, based on the suggestion that arrived via this blog, and trimmed the Ireland-as-Hollywood-sees-it sketch, but I now have to go through the script and try to make sure it is balanced in its references to Catholic and Protestant perspectives - I think we'll be fine as long as we make fun of each, equally.  I'm a bit troubled by the fact that simply talking about "Irishness" can be construed as "Republican" - I have to trawl through the script and see if we can insert balancing references to "the Island of Ireland", Northern Ireland, etc etc.  I wish there was a neutral term, especially as I don't want this to be a piece about "that" issue, but rather a cultural examination of the "characteristics of people who live here".  Interesting....

Comments

[MusicForAll]

I can imagine how difficult to find proper term that will give same perspective to various people who have different background. Discussion and sharing is good way to do it.
MusicForAll