Music / St Anne's
Stories of St Anne’s women to be told in new folk project
A new music project aims to weave underrepresented women’s voices with the magic of a mediaeval woodland in Bristol.
Nightingale Valley is a hidden piece of Brislington, largely unknown with a mixture of small fields, woodland and steep valley slopes with a brook running through.
This spot will be the root of the folk project, led by Victoria Bourne who plans to work with local women by collecting their stories and amalgamating them with songs, sounds and voices from the area.
Victoria, who is a composer, performer, educator and recording artist based in St Anne’s, told Bristol24/7 she wanted to draw on the way folk songs have traditionally been an avenue for communities to pass down local stories and legends, but ask: what is modern folk song today?
Aiming to explore what women see as relevant stories to tell about their lives, she said: “This particular project came from moving to St Anne’s. I started exploring the area and realised it had such an incredible history.
“I previously did another folk project where I’d used old folk songs but realised there’s so much male ancient English history going on here.
“I wanted to explore what women have to say today about their lives.”
Starting in May, the multidisciplinary project will involve women from teenagers to the elderly and encompass those who may typically not be engaged with music projects.
Part one is the release of the first three songs covering death, sex and the rarely-told perspective of a woman choosing not to have children.
During its second stage, she plans to create an interactive podcast using songs, voices and sounds from around St Anne’s.
Victoria studied music at the University of Bristol
“There’s a slight divide in St Anne’s and I want to make sure I engage all women – who might not think they want to get involved in a music project,” Victoria, who founded and was the musical director of the Bristol Hippodrome Choir for eight years, said.
“Then musically, I’d like to relate it directly to the woodland and the space, and it might morph from folk.”
In Nightingale Valley, which sits close by to St Anne’s Woods, sits a huge ancient tree with a brick wall inside, old oil barrels and a stone bridge.
About the spot, Victoria said: “People often say: ‘I didn’t even know this existed’.
“It’s an old mediaeval pilgrimage trail that children go to at night and people walk their dogs along – the same route that kings and queens used to trail.”
For more information, visit: www.victoriabourne.com/nightingale-valley/
If you’d like to be involved, you can contact Victoria via Twitter or email at [email protected]
All photos: Victoria Bourne
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