Confluence

Open the Flood-Gates

After the success of the new folk ballads project (see Talkative River), Helen Porter and Tim Laycock devised a new project in and around Sturminster Newton. Here the activity would have a more specific theme as its inspiration, namely the river in winter, and the spread of songwriting to be encouraged would be broader than the 'folk ballad' scheme of the earlier work. The eventual performance would also have a different aspect, in that it would incorporate displays of images from local people's collections in support of the winter theme.

A special session was held in a Sturminster cafe to enable people to share their memories connected to the project theme.

Helen and Tim worked in the Sturminster area from November 1999, with a group of enthusiastic participants ranging in age from 10 to over 80, from a variety of backgrounds, including a retired master baker (Les Jenkinson, seen in the picture above, with Tim), school children and a builder. In one case - the Pritchards from Pulham - a whole family became involved in writing and performing new material.

The new music proved as diverse as the performers, from the theatrical to the music hall, and was performed on March 3rd 2000 in Sturminster Newton by a band including the writers themselves, along with Tim and Helen. They were accompanied by a projected display of collected images, and the recitation of poems by local writers.

Stories ranged from swans and romance to flooding and even drowning, and this diversity was matched by the styles - folk, music theatre, jazz and music hall, the comic and the tragic were all represented. A number were based on personal knowledge: 10 year old Beth Squire wrote a piece based on her experience of Sturminster Mill flooding at Christmas-time, and retired social worker Martin Brice brought to life a tragic story from his past.

The serious repercussions of nature's unpredictability was brought sharply into focus by the concurrent flood disaster in Mozambique, and a collection raised over £100 for Oxfam's relief efforts.