Curlew River
by Benjamin Britten
The streaming presentation of Curlew River has ended.
We invite you to join us for Enigma Chamber Opera's next production.
[Subtitles are available; click the 'cc' button at the bottom right of the player.]
- Director
- Kirsten Z Cairns
- Music Director
- Edward Elwyn Jones
- Featuring
- Matthew DiBattista
- Aaron Engebreth
- David McFerrin
- Linus Schafer Goulthorpe
- Costume Design
- Rebecca Butler
- Lighting, Projection & Scenic Design
- Peter A Torpey
Performed , The Cathedral Church of St Paul 138 Tremont Street Boston, MA 02111 .
Synopsis
As if from nowhere, travelling players emerge, singing as they come. Their leader, a holy man, tells us they have come to share a story; a tale which will give hope to those who are lost, light to those in darkness.
The troupe transform themselves into characters. The Ferryman will lead us where we need to go; the Traveller is ever journeying, always on a quest. Both have heard the Madwoman singing; the Ferryman says he will wait for her, so that he can find out more of her tale.
The Madwoman is seeking her son, who was stolen from her. She has journeyed across the country, but has not been able to find him. Her desperate grief and longing have driven her to distraction. The Ferryman tells her and the other passengers on his boat about a child who died on the banks of the river, one year ago this very day. He also had been stolen from his home.
Learning that this child came from the Black Mountains, the Madwoman realizes it is indeed her son – and he is dead. Distraught, she weeps at his grave; those around her offer prayers for his soul. Another voice, however, joins their prayer – and the Madwoman sees a glimpse of her child, joyful and safe, in a better world than this.
Perhaps this mystery can bring us all hope; or at least peace, of a kind. The players return to the mundane world, leaving us to find our own way onwards.
Programme Note
What is ‘the life of the world to come’? – meaning not an afterlife, but the world to come in this life. How do we move forward after lockdown; rediscover a world where we will embrace, socialise, feel safe on a crowded train? How do we find a way out of political turmoil, division, chaos? Is there a better world around the corner, somewhere? How do we get there?
Pondering these questions, Curlew River came to mind. It seems the perfect story for the road we are travelling now. A human being who has suffered deep, profound trauma is on a quest. She is looking for her son; or perhaps, all she really hopes to find is herself. She keeps moving forward because it is the only thing she can do; putting one foot in front of the other, working to a single, obsessive goal, she survives.
Trauma robs us of our ability to reason on a higher level. The animal, or reptilian, brain kicks in, and all we can do is put up a ‘fight or flight’ response. Is the Madwoman fighting to find her child, or fleeing from her own despair? Either way, her rational brain is no longer in charge, as she strays further and further into the labyrinth of her desperate need.
A Ferryman appears, to help her cross a river. In mythology, water often represents the veil between two worlds, and frequently there is a Charon-type figure to guide us over. On the far bank, the Madwoman finds – what? Not her child; not alive, anyway. But she does find what in modern parlance we would call ‘closure’. She learns what happened to her boy, and her grief is unlocked. And then, in a ‘sign of God’s grace’, the spirit of her son appears to her, and tells her to be comforted, for they will meet again.
What are we to make of this miraculous appearance of the child? Can we believe it? We are not, after all, seeing real proof of an afterlife. Even the players are only retelling a story; we are several steps removed from a ‘true’ experience. From a religious perspective, the message is clear: all will be well, when we are reunited with our loved ones in heaven. If we do not, however, share that conviction, Curlew River does not offer proof that will change our minds.
Yet the parable still, I believe, offers us a message of solace. The Madwoman was alone, wandering and bewildered. On the banks of a river, she found people to guide her; to answer her most desperate question; to pray with her; to share her sorrow. This is the light in the darkness for us all. When we wander, confused and heartbroken, we will find companions to walk beside us. There will be answers, guidance, comfort; and even if the sadness cannot be magically taken away, ultimately we will find our way, together, out of trauma, to a place of hope.
My hope is that Curlew River offers you the promise of a better world to come, in this life – soon. May we find it together.
KIRSTEN Z CAIRNS Artistic Director
The streaming presentation requires the purchase of access.
We invite you to join us for Enigma Chamber Opera's next production.
The streaming presentation of Curlew River has ended.
We invite you to join us for Enigma Chamber Opera's next production.
Support Enigma Chamber Opera with your tax deductible donation.
Sign up for our mailing list.