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I first met and heard Alison McMorland
sing in 1978 when we shared a stage at the Queen's Hall, Edinburgh.
I was struck then by her dynamism, her wonderful energized singing
and her ability to win her audience to her. In writing this article
I have been fascinated to learn of the many other different ways
besides performance she has utilized her wonderful talent as a Scottish
singer.
In 1976 when Alison McMorland released
her first solo album "Belt wi' Colours Three" as part of Tangent's
series of recorded Scottish traditional music, she was already a
household name within the folk revival. Hamish Henderson hailed
her as "one of the principal modern interpreters of an ancestral
ballad singing tradition who unites scrupulous traditional fidelity
with versatile and creative artistry." And Dick Gaughan in reviewing
the album said, "She sings with as much authority and experience
as singers decades her senior ... she is, in her field, one of the
greatest singers to emerge and her importance cannot be too greatly
stressed." High praise indeed for such a young singer!
In addition to this fine solo album,
Alison was later to record with Peta Webb, and in my view, a quite
remarkable duo album. The two young women produced a unique, and
at that time almost unheard of, recording of Scottish and Irish
traditional ballads entirely unaccompanied. The album was listed
in the Melody Maker's top albums of the year 1980, and won Alison
and Peta such comments as: "... harmonies so sharp-edged and perfectly
blended that they send pins and needles down any spine - a sure
sign of perfection ... strains of Jeannie Robertson, Belle Stewart
and many another immortal." Frank Peters.
These recordings highlight a very productive
decade. Her accomplishments in this period were staggering. They
demonstrate an astounding variety of musical activities that ranged
from the educational to exploring traditional songs, to public performances,
to recording, to folkloristic projects. At the heart of all these
activities was Alison's love for Scots song tradition.
This was a fruition of all the interesting
strands of Alison's life preceeding this period. In 1969 Alison
and her young family moved from Cornwall to York. Having first collected
children's games and songs while living in Cornwall, she wasted
no time in interesting the York Education office in her continuing
this same work in the schools, as well as teaching folksongs and
games to children and their parents in a Saturday morning music
centre. This led to her receiving the opportunity in 1972 to make
a film for the Yorkhire Arts Association showing how traditions
are assimilated and defining their function and socialisation that
takes place in early childhood. The finished film was so successful
it was bought by Bess Lomax, director of the National Endowment
for the Arts in America in 1976. The same year Alison was invited
to appear at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC for the
bi-centennial Festival of American Folk Life where her film was
shown side by side with one by the anthropologist Margaret Mead.
Alison also produced a number of innovative oral history projects.
This concept common today, was new and virtually untried in the
early 70's and was also one of the forerunners of community arts
projects.
Following on from these projects, the
BBC, impressed with Alison's singing talents and her knowledge of
children's lore, in 1975 invited her to become a regular presenter
on the radio programme 'Listen with Mother' for the under five's.
She did this for seven years. For the series Alison scripted and
chose all the music and sang live. She chose the best current instrumental
Scottish and Irish folk bands of the day, giving them airing time
which otherwise they wouldn't have had since the only other folk
music station was Folk on Two. Alison even received fan mail from
lorry drivers for the choice of music!
Still in the area of education and folklore,
Alison regularly led teacher in-service training sessions on traditional
music, songs, games and customs. She also started many of the first
children's workshops at folk festivals when they were just getting
started. Alison and Betsy Whyte together visited many schools as
part of the early Edinburgh Festival's educational outreach programme
instigated by director John Barrow. In 1977 Alison produced an album
of children's songs and rhymes and entitled "The Funny Family".
Widely regarded as a classic, it featured her own daughter and such
musicians as John Tams and Derick Pearce. Two books followed, published
by Ward Lock Educational, influencing a whole generation of teachers,
parents and children.
Alison was drawn into theatre which was
a tremendous experience, but at the same time a distraction from
her own personal development as a traditional Scots singer and collector.
She briefly appeared in Bill Bryden's musical production of "Lark
Rise to Candleford" at the National Theatre, London. A year later,
as part of the Albion Band, she performed in "The Creation" and
"Passion" based on the mediaeval mystery plays. These distinctive
productions were performed at the main Edinburgh Festival and London.
Alison worked too, for the Northern Studio Theatre on several plays
which also included acting as their musical director and culminated
in the fascinating production of "Brecht's Women" performed at the
Edinburgh Fringe.
And so the 1970s up to 1982 saw interesting
splits in Alison's paths of exploration.
On the traditional performance side,
Alison would say herself that the start of her public singing productivity
began in earnest when she won the women's traditional singing trophy
at Kinross Folk Festival in 1971. Judged by Sheila Stewart, who
had been the previous year's winner (and before her Lizzie Higgins
and Belle Stewart). The award gave her immediate recognition. But
even more important was the fact she was spotted by Hamish Henderson.
Space does not permit detail of Alison's glowing praise and gratitude
to Hamish who at this point took her under his wing. Hamish encouraged
her to explore in the deepest possible way the richness of Scots
songs. He made available the School of Scottish Studies archives
and introduced her to such luminaries as Lucy Stewart, Jane Turriff
and Betsy Whyte. As Alison says, "He's a giant of a man. I owe an
immense amount to him."
The beginning of the 80s saw two significant
singing accomplishments for Alison. One was the McMorland/Webb recording
already mentioned and the second which followed close on its heels,
was Alison's contribution to the album and book "My Song is My Own",
four centuries of women's songs compiled by Kathy Henderson, Frankie
Armstrong and Sandra Kerr. This recording received stunning acclaim,
especially note worthy as it was released at a time when the "old
boys network" in the folk music world was solid making it difficult
for women musicians to receive their deserved recognition. With
this album we see the last display of Alison's immense talent as
a major force during those heady years of the folk revival. But
two more events complete this period of her life. Between 1980-82
the BBC produced a series of six films honouring some of the pioneers
of the revival. Such important figures as Ewan McColl, and the Watersons
among others were featured and so too were Alison and Peta Webb.
And as someone who has contributed greatly to the folk song revival,
Alison's photograph is on the front cover of Ailie Monroe's book,
first published as The Folk Music Revival in Scotland, now revised
as The Democratic Muse.
At the end of 1982 followed what appeared,
to the folk world, to be a long silence from this popular singer.
In reality, a new journey began for Alison that would eventually
take her into her most vital and challenging life work - that of
the artist in the community. In hindsight Alison could see her life
was a preparation for this work; the seeds being sown even as far
back as her childhood.
Alison was born on the outskirts of Glasgow
and moved to Strathaven as a very young child. Both her Scottish
father and English mother were very musical. In the case of her
father he knew a lot of "the auld sangs". Her mother, on the other
hand, was a trained violinist and played part time in an orchestra
and earlier on, for the silent cinema. She loved Scottish music
and regularly played dance tunes for her children. Alison showed
a natural talent for singing at a very early age and the joy and
love for singing Scottish songs was encouraged by her parents and
grandparents. Music - song and instrumental - was happily ever present
in the McMorland household, an excepted way of life like breathing.
The first jarring note in the life of
young Alison came when at twelve her family moved to England where
she attended high school. Alison, who naturally took her Scottishness
for granted, now found herself displaced in a different culture.
"It was strange, disorientating, I felt as if a veil was put over
me and I wasn't able to be in touch with my true self." Many years
later Alison would be in a position to professionally help other
"displaced people" link themselves to their culture, their roots,
their place in the community and this she would accomplish using
her primary talent as a traditional singer.
Five years later her parents moved back
to Scotland and resettled in Girvan where her grandfather had once
been a local baker. At this point Alison went on to study art and
drama at Bretton Hall College.
When Alison married in the early 60s
and started her family, she and her husband moved to Helston, Cornwall.
This move was significant for a variety of reasons: it exposed her
to the rich and varied traditions there; she started singing in
folk clubs, eg. the new club at Truro which she helped establish;
it served to help sharpen her Scottish musical identity; it forged
lasting friendships, and not least, it provided a stimulus and inspiration
for active and early involvement in what is now commonly known as
community arts. It was also here Alison met the local traditional
singers and musicians such as Charlie Bates, young Maureen and Rob
Tatlow and Tommy Morrissy. She paid special tribute to her next
door neighbour, Gran a natural and valuable source of living lore.
She would tell stories about bringing up her own large family, of
Helston in the past, and the Helson Furry Dance and Hal an Tow as
they used to be. And of course there was the famous Padstow May
Day celebration!
These and other customs and rituals were
making connections for Alison of the way a community celebrates;
the way a community hauls together and honours its own special markings
for its people. "I tried to see as many customs as possible in Cornwall,
and later in Yorkshire and Scotland. That was a very informing thing
for me especially with my later work of arts in the community. To
have that as a term of reference when working with people to explore
their roots, heritage, customs, history and the individual's place
within the collective sense of belonging."
When Alison's young daughters came home
from school playing games and reciting different versions of singing
rhymes she knew as a child in Scotland, Alison became interested
in the idea of collecting the games, songs and jingles of children.
This, too, was part of her "making connections". Where better to
start then with young children and the childhood memories of the
elderly.
So the Cornwall experience became the
grounding for the next phase of her professional life that began
when she and her family moved to York in 1970. During the next thirteen
years Alison's work with children in the schools and her professional
singing all blossomed in very fruitful ways. By 1982 when she had
released her two most important albums and the curtain fell on the
last performance of "Brecht's Women", Alison felt the need to ease
off from public performance.
As she said, "You can go through an intense
period of creative outpouring and then the scales have to be balanced.
You have to have your inward and reflective time. Also, I found
myself being asked to do voice work in many different contexts that
demanded further training. This was a rich learning time for me.
I went on to lead workshops focusing on the impact of song and sound,
encouraging the freeing of the natural voice. I worked, for instance,
within drama therapy, with people who had suffered head injuries,
muscular dystrophy and with other special needs, following a therapeutic
strand." Much of Alison's work in this period is beyond the scope
of this article. However, from a folk perspective the important
work Alison did accomplish during these years was to finish her
book, "Herd Laddie of the Glen" honouring Willie Scott and the traditional
songs he had sung and collected throughout his long life. It was
welcomed as a fine tribute to this grand old traditional singer.
The late Willie was 91 at the time his book was finally published.
In 1989 Alison returned to Glasgow. She
described herself at the time as "a salmon that swims up river and
comes back home." Right away Jo Miller asked her to job share on
a wide ranging traditional arts development programme at The Glasgow
Arts Centre. She was also invited by Project Ability to lead an
innovative leadership training programme within social work first
developed by her in Fife in 1988. This was an upbeat time for Alison
not only because she returned to her roots, but because she felt
herself having come full circle and seeing clearly all the strands
of her life in the past decades now coming together in a most productive
and satisfying way. In 1992 Alison co-founded Living Arts Scotland.
The central thrust of this community arts organisation was to put
traditional and expressive arts and arts training programmes right
at the heart of their work giving access to as wide a remit of people
as possible.
A typical example of the breadth of work
undertaken was a three year island development project highlighted
as a case study by the Scottish Arts Council. It included an arts
team that worked in a whole variety of ways: in the schools; with
a special needs group; with the elderly in residential care; with
older people active in the community. One strand brought old people
into the schools so the children could hear their stories, record
their memories, write them up and dramatise them. In this way the
schools became part of the archives for the community. As Alison
explained, "We provided the structure to make it possible for things
to happen; but the local people themselves led, held the reigns."
Asking Alison what she considered her
main work has been and what has given her most satisfaction, she
said without hesitation, "I have directed my energies most definitely
into a wider context beyond folk clubs and festivals. My thrust
has continually been from the beginning to expose mainstream to
the traditional and expressive arts and by doing this place the
artist firmly at the front." When I look back to the early days
I felt like a lone adventurer exploring new directions and today
these directions are established practice. I feel really gratified
to have been part of it all."
Now Alison is less involved with the
day to day running of Living Arts Scotland. "The period I've personally
moved into is one of more time to sing, my first love."
In 1990 Geordie McIntyre produced a multi-artist
album on the Lismor label to coincide with Glasgow as European City
of Culture. It included Alison, and indeed, Geordie himself. In
reviewing "Glasgow Horizons" Jim Chilchrist had this to say, "For
me the highlight is without a doubt Alison McMorland's eloquently
poignant tribute to the late Willie Scott, "Time Wears Awa", her
singing of which forcibly reminds one of her stature as a traditional
singer of tremendous power." And Alastair Clark's comment, "If there's
one voice that lingers longest in the ear, it must be the voice
of Alison McMorland, of whom far too little has been heard in recent
years."
However, the last few years have seen
a steady increase in public performance both solo and with Gaelic
singer Margaret Bennett. In 1998 Alison guested at The National
and at Auchtermuchty festivals. She is also a Scots song tutor on
the RSAMD degree course in Glasgow which gives her great satisfaction.
Finally there is a long overdue CD in the pipeline. As Alison says,
echoing Sheila Douglas, "The Sangs the Thing".
This article is based on interviews,
newspaper reviews, and reference to the entry in The Guinness Book
of Popular Music, published in 1992.
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