As ever the Friday night monthly extravaganza from Bit Crack gave us a rollicking adventure expertly guided by Alexander Mackenzie.
Christine shared her fantastic flute which looked like it had been fashioned by a Hobbit for Middle earth. And what a glorious skill to be able to deliver such a hauntingly beautiful sound.
Christine had found the Flute in New Zealand and discovered a long lost Scottish song in Nova Scotia which she sang beautifully.
Alexander, despite having been very poorly earlier in the year, displayed an extraordinary resilience, determination and passion for his craft.
Like a 21st century timelord he whisked us away from his tropical living room and landed us on the shores of Troy. His simple narration of well- loved tales were cleverly punctuated by Christine’s ‘magic’ flute which enabled us to flow from one adventure to another.
Although I was aware of the separate tales it was wonderful to hear them threaded together in this way.
And what a guy was Odysseus! Not only was he instrumental in the whole Trojan Horse ruse, he also managed to annoy Poseidon, which for a traveller on the high seas could be seen as a bit reckless!
He meets the Cyclops with a penchant for rice krispies of the human kind, enables his men to escape by clinging on under the bellies of his sheep. He gets them all ship wrecked but manages to hook up with a Goddess…as you do! After all those wild women and seas he does what every dutiful Greek should…returns home to his wife.
But wait a minute, there are suitors after his wife and he (in deep disguise…having been a bit of a tinker!) sets a challenge. As all heroes do, he of course wins and reveals himself to his long suffering wife. Only after answering the riddle of the marital bed, would she be satisfied he was her Odysseus. Only he would know that he had carved it out of a growing tree and so the bed couldn’t be moved…what a guy!
There is something wonderful about the storytelling world where tellers and musicians can transport us from our world of Covid Chaos to the shores of Ithica and beyond for a right rollicking good time. Many thanks Bit Crack and especially Alexander and Christine.
Jill Bauld, December 2020