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Editorial:
Minority Report
Anna Rankin
Comment:
Racism in Ulster: Up-front and Ugly
Ken Newell
From
the Director: Naming Our Sin
David W Porter
Faith
in Ulster: Facing Up to Diversity
Stephen Skuce
Faith
and Practice
Walter Lewis
Interview
with Rose Ozo: Where the Heart Is
Anna Rankin
Craigavon:
Religious Liberty in the Shadow of Drumcree
Small Steps
Tim Foley
Embracing the Stranger
Richard Kerr
Review:
On Eagle's Wing
Ethel White
Review:
Conflict, Controversy and Co-operation
John W Morrow
Review:
The Subversive Manifesto
John Kyle
Review:
L is for Lifestyle
Claire Martin
Review:
It Will Not Be Taken Away From Her
Cary Gibson
Review:
Prophetic Untimeliness: A Challenge to the Idol of Relevance
Paul Rankin
Review:
Two Little Boys
John Gillespie
Review:
Son
David Smith
REVIEW:
ON EAGLE'S WING
written and composed by John Anderson
reviewed by Ethel White
IF ON EAGLE’S WING set out to answer the question in the song “Do you know who you are?” it failed for me. Well maybe not quite, at least I know that although I could claim to be Ulster-Scots, or as the programme states, Scots-Irish, I have only the vaguest connection to the people whose story is so energetically portrayed in this music, dance and visual extravaganza. It follows the journey of a group of people who left Scotland because of famine and when they weren’t welcomed in Ireland moved on to the fledgling America. There they struggled to establish themselves but eventually made it their home to the extent that they claimed modern American culture as their own. It’s an inspiring story about overcoming adversity and of contributing and shaping the evolution of a country. These are the Scots who didn’t stay in Ireland, and one wonders how our story would have been different if they had stayed.
It is intriguing why this event is significant to Ulster-Scots. True, the Scots in the story settled in Ireland for a period but it is doubtful their experience here was sufficient to shape an Irish dimension to their identity. The answer to the question posed about their identity is that they became American and, unlike many other emigrants, didn’t hold on to their original culture alongside the new. So if this event is an attempt by those Scots who stayed behind to grasp at identity, then maybe we need to look again at the richness and diversity of the Ulster-Scots contribution to Ireland and be willing to claim those whose political stance differed from the ‘traditional’ outlook of Ulster-Scots today?
Everything about the performance was impressive – spectacular dance sets, evocative singing by soloists and choirs, a variety of cultural items – traditional Uilean pipes, pipers, drummers. Local celebrities had an opportunity to show their talent – B J Hogg sang as Andrew Jackson and George Jones got to die an agonising death. The four ‘clowns’ added yet another layer to the event, particularly in a cleverly choreographed and well-acted scene as drunks. Whilst the set was simple, the varied costumes worn by the dancers were imaginative and fun. The screen show was absolutely essential to appreciating the soloists – Peter Corry added gravitas but the drummer was the show-stopper, a virtuoso performance of technical brilliance and musical quality.
Attempting to portray a story which covers a few hundred years makes for difficulties in building characters with whom the audience can relate. Putting on an event on the scale of this one also precludes intimacy between the audience and the characters. Adding in an allembracing philosophy to the lyrics was a weak counterpart to the technological and artistic collage that was the real attraction and success of this show. Essentially it tried to do too much, to appeal to too many, the strong faith of the emigrants did not rest comfortably with the hedonistic materialistic culture of their descendents. Was the event really anything more than energetic entertainment?
I didn’t learn much about my identity because these particular Scots moved on within a century of arriving in Ireland and many were here for as little as a couple of decades. So what does it say to those of us descended from the Scots who stayed behind? Do we need to see the opportunities we have to contribute rather than feeling under siege in a postagreement Northern Ireland and in a rapidly enlarging EU? We may want to lay claim to these Scots-Irish and their heritage but maybe we should allow their success to inspire us to confidently shape the society and culture in which we now live?
DR ETHEL WHITE is Chair of ECONI and is a Reseaarch Scientist with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
ON EAGLE’S
WING
Written and
composed by John Anderson
Odyssey Arena, Belfast
28-29 May 2004.
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