Taking place from 27 October to 5 November in the Upper and Dress Circle Foyers of Theatre Royal Glasgow, the visuals, recordings and 3D clay models on display were made as creative responses to Scott’s 1819 novel The Bride of Lammermoor, which tells the tragic love story of Lucy Ashton and Edgar, Master of Ravenswood. When she is isolated by domineering relatives and pressured in to marrying the heir of a neighbouring noble house, Lucy’s mental health breaks down, leading to fatal consequences on the wedding night. Gaetano Donizetti’s 1835 opera, Lucia di Lammermoor, was inspired by Scott’s work.
The project helped build creative skills as well as increasing self-confidence and self-expression through engagement with the arts, and formed part of the 250th Anniversary celebrations of Sir Walter Scott.
Last autumn, the participants took part in a series of free workshops (with support from The Abbotsford Trust and Live Borders!) using music, creative writing, film and photography in Hawick and Galashiels, led by Scottish Opera artists including a composer and a performance poet/writer, as well as two visual artists, before both groups came together over one weekend at Abbotsford House, the home of Sir Walter Scott.
Exploring the characters of Lucy/Lucia, Sweet Sounds in Wild Places will be displayed in four acts, a format that mirrors a common structure for many operas and plays, that sketches the arc of the story, each with a distinctive theme and focusing on a different subset of art, media, music and creative writing.
The exhibition explores issues of loneliness and lack of empowerment, as well as the impact, for good and bad, that landscape and environment can have on mental health. The project aimed to provide a safe space for people to rebuild their confidence and emotional resilience, reflect on their own experiences during lockdown, demonstrate how opera can be used as a tool to raise awareness of issues around women’s wellbeing, and find innovative ways to address health inequalities amongst the Scottish population.
The Sweet Sounds in Wild Places project was established following a report in September 2020 from the international aid organisation CARE, which revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic caused a women’s mental health crisis, with reasons including reduced income, home schooling, care of elderly relatives, and social isolation. In situations mirroring Lucy/Lucia’s, some women cited aggressive, controlling, and violent behaviour from partners and family, with nowhere to escape during lockdowns.
Sweet Sounds in Wild Places is supported by The Cruden Foundation and Scottish Opera’s Education Angels. Special thanks to ATG Theatres; Jason Moyes, Senior Creative Programming Officer at Live Borders; and Dr Sandra MacKenzie, Head of Education at Abbotsford House, Melrose.
More information about the project can be found at www.scottishopera.org.uk/join-in/sweet-sounds-in-wild-places/