Songs from The Last Page

VISITING SHOWS

Songs from The Last Page

GARETH WILLIAMS PRESENTS

Songs from The Last Page

Fri 22 Sep 2023

TICKET PRICE

From £10

WHEN

FRI 22 SEP, 7.30PM

Age Recommendations: All Ages
Running Time: 60minutes approx

GARETH WILLIAMS PRESENTS
SONGS FROM THE LAST PAGE
FRI 22 SEP, 7.30PM
 
A performance from acclaimed composer/songwriter Gareth Williams that lyrically transform iconic final pages from Scottish fiction into brand-new 'literary chamber pop' songs.
 
From the melancholy mastermind of Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, to Kirsty Campbell’s joyful farewell in Ely Percy’s Duck Feet, the performance celebrates a diverse range of storytellers from across Scotland. This spellbinding collection for voice, piano and strings captures the moment a reader finishes the last lines of a book and holds it for just a few... more... minutes.
 

⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Singing verbatim from classics Treasure Island, Lanark and Peter Pan and the works of modern authors, turning James Robertsons’s News of the Dead into a lullaby on electric piano, capturing the sense of redemption and closure in Jackie Kay’s short story The Pink House and embodying the spirit of Andrew Greig’s At the Loch of the Green Corrie, which asks the reader to finish the story.” - The Scotsman

⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Such a sense of discovery is the ideology that is bought to the fore by Gareth Williams in his extraordinary feat of endurance, the lavish and beautiful Songs From The Last Page”. It” puts the listener in mind of how they too have gone beyond a last word and imagined the world of continuance, of prolonging the heart that has found love in a meaningful farewell.” - Liverpool Seen and Heard

⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Williams skilfully celebrates Scottish literature, demonstrating their highly imaginative, creative, and inspiring prowess. The performance is not just a musical display, but an invitation to explore one's creative depths. By breathing new life into well-loved stories, he uncovers the extraordinary within the ordinary, delivering a resounding celebration of creativity itself." - EdFestMag

⭐⭐⭐⭐ “There’s so much to love in ‘Songs From The Last Page’ for lovers of song and written word. It’s an absolutely delightful experience, thoughtful, and even a touch surprising. What must be applauded is this genuinely original endeavour, which shines a wonderful new light on literary classics. This is how you reach new audiences, and cross-pollinate the creative industries.” - The Quintessential Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐ "From the pathos of Jackie Kay's Pink house to the pizzicato strings ticking away time in the bittersweet conclusion of Peter Pan, Williams's music lifts words off the page, transfiguring them while at the same time re-focussing our understanding."- The Scotsman
 

“musically magical… Highlight of the whole Fringe” -ScotsWhayHae

“Literally, my jaw dropped…absolutely stunning” - Janice Forsyth (BBC Radio Scotland, Afternoon Show)

"He’s a most engaging raconteur" - Keith Bruce, Vox Carnyx

“A wonderful and unusual show!" - Bernard MacLaverty, Author 

 
CREATIVE TEAM
Voice/Piano Gareth Williams 
Cello Justyna Jablonska
Violin  Aisling O Dea
Songs and Arrangements by Gareth Williams
 
Age Recommendations: All Ages
Running Time: 60minutes (approx)