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It was standing room only at the Fiske Library the evening of Friday, December 11, as adults and some younger folks streamed in to celebrate the coming of the winter solstice with nationally recognized storyteller Diane Edgecomb. Harpist Margot Chamberlain and multi-talented musician Tom Megan complemented Edgecomb’s stories with their music throughout the evening. An apparent glitch in the lighting left the entrance to Fiske Library dark as the hour approached for the concert. Coincidence? In legend, almost anything can happen during the winter solstice….
Norfolk resident Pamela Ruby Russell, musician and photographer, has worked closely with Edgecomb and her musicians, photographing them in various settings. She began working with the group by capturing the moods of the stories and songs as they performed in the spring season at the Arnold Arboretum. The storytelling/musical ensemble has used Russell’s work to enrich several of their recordings. One of her photographs, taken in Norfolk, was used as a cover for their recording, “In the Groves.” Edgecomb noted, “I’ve known Pam for a long time and wanted to bring her eye to our work. I’ve always been moved by the way Pam captures the magic and mystery of things.”
The trio entered Fiske Library with penny whistles and song. “Here we come a Wassailing” set the tone for the evening of merriment, good humor, and friendship. Edgecomb quickly transformed herself into a poor, cockney-accented fellow by simply donning a cap, jacket, and scarf. The audience was spell-bound by her tale of “The Apple-tree man,” in search of long-buried treasure. The story had elements of both “naughty and nice” and in the end (as often happens in the best stories), the Good (the oldest) brother outwitted his brute of a Younger brother.
Throughout the program Megan’s evocative piano playing alternated with Chamberlain’s spare harp music, all serving to enrich and complement the powerful, and sometimes playful stories Edgecomb shared. A short musical interlude on the harp allowed us to catch our breath after the particularly powerful story, the legend of the mistletoe.
Edgecomb introduced the mistletoe legend (her own unique adaptation of several Norse myths and folklore) by distributing holly branches to the audience, then playfully waving a cluster of mistletoe over the heads of several couples in the audience. These couples gamely kissed each other, as the tradition requires. After lightening the mood, Edgecomb then launched into a rollercoaster ride of emotions as she told the story of Baldur, whose life was going exceedingly well. BUT (Edgecomb stepped out of character to remind us that every good story needs a “but”) the mischievous Loki appears to wreak havoc. The remainder of the story detailed the struggle between good and evil. Edgecomb transformed herself in the blink of an eye with a simple stoop of her shoulders, a squint of her eye, a deepening of her voice, or raising her voice to a shrill shriek. The conclusion of the story sent a grieving mother out into the world to convince others of their need to forgive past grievances. If she succeeded, she would be given back her son, but if not…. Well, the history of our world gives little hope of being able to convince everyone of the need to forgive.
Rather than leaving us on that note, the trio brought back the warm tones of the harp, then a light-hearted look at why some folks really prefer the night. Megan’s “All Praise the Night” composition provided a gently playful perspective on the life of a night owl. “Now, some will call you vampire, some will say you’re morose, but there’s more creative energy when most folks are comatose” he sang, accompanying himself on guitar.
The evening concluded with a stunning acapella round in Dorian mode, composed by Chamberlain. The music was haunting in its beauty, evoking bittersweet tones of melancholy and light in the midst of darkness.
The Book Discussion group that meets at the Fiske library hosted the evening program, with funding support provided by the Fiske Library Gift Account as well as the Friends of the Fiske Public Library. Wrentham resident, Claire Mauro, facilitator of the book discussion group noted, “This group speaks to any age—we were enthralled. The choice of stories was so varied. I was impressed that Diane got as much participation from the group as she did. I just loved their harmonies, the whole ambiance of the solstice.”
Edgecomb offers multiple storytelling programs for a variety of ages and times of year. For more information about her programs, go to www.Livingmyth.com.