Over and Nether - Time at one end, wind at the other
“Over and Nether
Time at one end, wind at the other”
This is a performance piece created to celebrate the publication of Alan Garner’s memoir of his wartime childhood in Alderley Edge: ‘Where Shall We Run To?’ The show is a collaboration between storyteller Nick Hennessey and musician and composer John Dipper, with script-development support from Alan’s daughter Elizabeth, novelist and editor. There will be an after-show Q&A session on the research and the creative process.
Exploring the power of place, and the author’s ‘one square mile of Cheshire,’ the piece combines oral recordings of Alan Garner with folk tales, folk music, and oral archive as the source material. These are interwoven with original compositions by John, played on the 14- string Viola d’Amore, inspired by Alan Garner’s work and by the landscape of Alderley Edge itself.
Alan Garner: Oral Recordings
Alan is a multi-award-winning novelist, whose debut fantasy novel ‘The Weirdstone of Brisingamen’ took its inspiration from The Legend of Alderley. He has written 13 books, for children and adults, deeply rooted in British folklore and a sense of place.
Nick Hennessey: Storyteller
Nick grew up in Alderley Edge. He is an internationally acclaimed storyteller and folk singer who is particularly interested in the relationship between landscape, communities, their stories and the reinvention of tradition.
John Dipper: Music
John is a performer and composer with a deep, inherited understanding of traditional folk music. He collaborates with storytellers and musicians across genres. He composed original music for, performed on and produced two of ‘The Times’ Top 10 folk/ roots albums of 2018.
Elizabeth Garner: Script Editor
Elizabeth grew up in Cheshire, surrounded by folklore and folk tales. She is an award-winning author with 20 years’ experience as a story-development editor in feature film and fiction publishing.
“The storytelling and music were wonderful, and I found the Q&A very inspirational in getting me thinking about storytelling and place” – Kate Picker Visitor Experience Manager, The National Trust
