SAY IT WITH MUSIC - HOW MY JOURNEY BEGAN

By Angelica Ottewill, (Harpist, Singer, Storyteller)

I discovered the world of storytelling and the Celtic harp simultaneously.  They were to change the fabric of my life forever.

It began about twenty-six years ago at a summer course in Toronto, when a fellow student mentioned she was going to the 1001 Friday Nights of Storytelling and would I like to come along.  I was intrigued by the idea of storytelling as a performing art.  I had first heard about it from Professor Jaques Yashinsky while attending a French immersion course in St. Pierre et Miquelon.

“Your son does what for a living? Whoever heard of telling stories to make money?  Does he tell to adults?  Who are his audiences?”

Well, this was my chance to find out more about this mysterious art form.  The professor’s son, Dan, would be hosting the Friday night session and Alice Kane, Irish storytelling icon would be telling. 

The event took place in a café. I’ve forgotten what it was called or where it was, but I remember it as magical.  All the tables had candles and there was an intimacy and charm that I had never experienced before in any performing venue.  I was a classically trained singer and performing was always a big production, replete with nerves and anxiety.  Here in this congenial space, the performances were effortless, the ambiance warm and encouraging.  The evening was not about the performers as much as it was about the stories.

A few days later my classmate Jane, who was a singer and storyteller, said “Have you seen that little lap harp for sale at Remenyi’s?  I think it would be a great accompaniment for storytelling!”

Now just to back-track a little. I was no stranger to the harp, although I had never played one.  A friend of mine, George Mills, had purchased two Celtic harps several years earlier and had stumbled through various musical arrangements of Celtic tunes while I sang the melodies.  However, it had never occurred to me to take up the harp myself.  I was a singer, and my accomplishments on the guitar and piano had been pretty pathetic.   

Now, with Jane’s suggestion buzzing in my ears, I went to visit George and for the first time, I asked if I could play a few notes on his harp.  The moment my fingers plucked those strings and the resonance of the instrument vibrated through me, I knew I was hooked.  It was what Gardner would call “A crystalizing experience”.

I went to visit my parents the next day and breathlessly announced, “Guess what?  Something wonderful has happened in my life!” 

They looked at me hopefully as I had been married for two years.

“You’re pregnant?”

“No,” I said, “I’m going to buy a harp!” 

They looked crestfallen!

When I brought the little lap harp home, my husband said, “It’s a five minute wonder.  You’ll get sick of it”.  Well he was right about the fact that I would not be enamored with the lap harp for long.  It was a toy instrument and within a few months I realized that I should have bought a proper floor harp – which I did do not long afterwards.

But my love affair with the harp has continued and has dramatically changed my life, just as my entry into the magical realm of storytelling has. 

From the beginning, I was intrigued by the possibilities of connecting the two art forms.  I began to research and discover stories that had music as a central theme.  I delved into Celtic lore, discovering that my true musical calling lay not in operatic arias or madrigals, but in these elegant Celtic airs.  They were technically easier to sing and now I could save money on accompanists, by accompanying myself on the harp. 

Strangely enough, all my earlier nervousness vanished while I sang and accompanied myself on the harp.  Perhaps it was because I had so much to occupy my brain while playing and singing, that I no longer had time to be nervous.  Perhaps it was because I was now one with the music. Or perhaps it was because if I made a mistake I could easily cover it up. 

Whatever the reason, my performing career suddenly took off!  There was no one in Toronto at the time who played the harp and sang.  I had a virtual monopoly!

So at age thirty-six, while others are giving up their performing careers to raise families or pay off their mortgages, my performing career began. I began to take lessons on the harp and joined the newly formed Ontario Folk Harp Society.  One of its members, Angela Kaija, was a professional actress and we decided to collaborate on a harp and storytelling project.   We worked on “Sir Orfeo”, the Medieval Scottish version of Orpheus and Eurydice.  Angela would tell the story while I accompanied her telling on the harp. 

I decided to create a kind of soundscape behind the words – almost like the music in the background of a movie.  I did not play continuously – sometimes the words of the story were enough.  Sometimes the telling would stop, as I played an actual piece. 

Since the story was about a person who played the harp, it was easy enough to find many places where the story could stop and the music could take over.  I realized why the story of Orpheus had inspired the very first opera, and why it had been the subject of many musical stories afterwards – including the modern movie Black Orpheus with Harry Belafonte.

The big day arrived! We were to perform for the first time.  The Folk Harp Society hosted a big Folk Harp Festival, in which big name harpers from the U.S. were performing. The response to “Sir Orfeo” was ecstatic.  One famous harper, Louise Trotter, commented that she loved the fact that the music did not detract from the story and she didn’t have to suddenly listen to “My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose” or something corny like that in the middle of a great story.

Besides “Sir Orfeo”, Angela and I, along with several others, created a “Renaissance Tableau”.  It took place outdoors in the morning sunshine of June, with all of us dressed in  costume. Because it was Sunday morning, the performance was contemplative and spiritual.  We played lovely Renaissance airs interspersed with Renaissance poetry. There were harp ensembles and pieces with harp and recorder.  Louise Trotter said it was her favourite part of the entire festival!

 And so my musical storytelling journey began.  I have continued to work with other storytellers, as well as other musicians on a huge variety of storytelling projects.  My work has taken me to many different cities, and places. 

Now, as a retired elementary school music and French teacher, it has become the focus of my life and hopefully will continue to be for many years to come.

All Rights Reserved by Angelica Ottewill (2014)

‘How My Journey Began’ is the beginning of a series ‘Say It With Music’ that Ms. Ottewill will post from time to time here on Tales and Tips

Write to Angelica at her website: www.trobairitz.ca

Follow Peterborough Storytellers at: www.facebook.com/peterboroughstorytellers