The Village and The Road

‘The great thinning’ was a term coined by environmental journalist Michael McCarthy, to describe the loss of so many of the birds which once delighted visitors to the British countryside. The Village and The Road is a response to another ‘great thinning’. For the first time in human history there are more people living in cities than in the countryside, many, especially the young, are taking the road out of their villages.The Village and The Road is a collaboration with words from celebrated writer Tom Pow, and music from The Galloway Agreement, a new quartet of well-known traditional musicians Wendy Stewart (harp, voice), Ruth Morris (nyckelharpa), Gavin Marwick (fiddle) and Stuart Macpherson (double bass). Directed by Matthew Zajac, (Dogstar Theatre, The Tailor of Inverness).

Tom Pow draws on his travels for this emotive journey exploring the abandonment of the countryside, refugee crisis, and the ‘great thinning’ of the natural world, whilst The Galloway Agreement musicians draw on their wide experience of European musical traditions, enlarging the emotional landscape and driving the narrative.Following the performance there will be a ceilidh, a gathering in the traditional sense; an informal sharing of music and stories and an opportunity to discuss the issues raised.