Synopsis
Song Seekers: The Greenleaf & Mansfield Story tells the story of Elisabeth Bristol Greenleaf, who came to Newfoundland in the 1920s as a night school teacher and left a folk music collector. This show traces her journey with musicologist Grace Yarrow Mansfield as they complete their mission to preserve the folk songs we now know and love. Weaving their story with performances from our classic folk canon, with special appearances by some of our province’s most beloved singers, Song Seekers: The Greenleaf & Mansfield Story brings to life the story of two women who helped preserve Newfoundland’s unique music traditions for generations to come.
The Cast
Petrina Bromley*
|
Ruth Lawrence* |
*Appear courtesy of Canadian Actors Equity Association.
Guest Appearances
The Creative Team
writers
RUTH LAWRENCE, MICHELLE REX BAILEY & PETRINA BROMLEY director & musical director PAMELA MORGAN stage management LINA MAKAGA production manager ANA PITOL costume design CAROLYN WALSH set & props design MEGHAN GREELEY |
sound design
MARK FEENER lighting design & technical direction BOB STAMP projection design PAT DEMPSEY director of photography RODRIGO INIGUEZ marketing and publicity director SANTIAGO GUZMÁN mentee NONXEBAZENKOSI KHUMALO |
Song List
Unless noted, all songs are found in
The Ballads and Sea Songs of Newfoundland
Collected and edited by Elisabeth Bristol Greenleaf with music recorded in the field by Grace Yarrow Mansfield
The Ballads and Sea Songs of Newfoundland
Collected and edited by Elisabeth Bristol Greenleaf with music recorded in the field by Grace Yarrow Mansfield
THE FISHERMEN OF THE NEWFOUNDLAND; OR, THE GOOD SHIP JUBILEE Collected from Daniel Endicott, Sally's Cove, 1920
THOMAS AND NANCY Collected from Bryant Galliott, Sally's Cove, 1920 THE TWO SISTERS Recited by Mrs. Walters Sr., Rocky Harbour, 1920 KELER TSOLER From the collection of Komitas, The Songs of Agn, 1895 YOUNG BARBOUR Collected from Maude Roberts, Sally’s Cove, 1920 JOHN GILLAM’S SONG- Tune THE STAR OF LOGY BAY Words by permission of Gerald S. Doyle, Air by Mrs. May O’Dea, St. John’s THE SEALING CRUISE OF THE LONE FLIER Collected from Herbert Watkins and Jack Sharp, Twillingate, 1929 THE UNQUIET GRAVE Collected from Mrs. Rosie White, Sandy Cove, 1929 THE DROWSY SLEEPER Collected from Mrs. Thomas White Jr. Sandy Cove, 1929 WIND SHAKES THE BARLEY, GRAND CHAIN- Tunes COD LIVER OIL SONG Collected from Gordon Willis, Fogo, 1929 TARRY TROWSERS Collected from Charles and Gordon Willis, Fogo, 1929 LADY ISABEL AND THE ELF KNIGHT, Child No. 4 Sung by Mrs. Minnie Payne, Green Point, 1920 JOLLY JACK TAR (AS I ROVED OUT) Collected from Dennis Walsh, Fleur de Lys, 1929 FAIR FLOWERS OF HELIO (GREENWOOD SIDING) Collected from Agatha Walsh, Fleur de Lys, 1929 THE PLAINS OF WATERLOO Collected from Michael Walsh, Fleur de Lys, 1929 THE SPIRIT PUNT- Story Stephen John Lewis, Fleur de Lys, 1929 |
THE MAID OF NEWFOUNDLAND
Collected from John Noftall, Fleur de Lys, 1929, composed by Captain Duer, St. John’s THE GRAVEN ROCK- Story Mrs. Mary Noftall, Fleur de Lys, 1929 THE BLOOMING BRIGHT STAR OF BELLE ISLE Words by permission of Gerald S. Doyle, air from Patrick Lewis, Fleur de Lys, 1929. Recording collected from Patsy Judge by Agnes Walsh THE FRANKLIN EXPEDITION Collected from Joe Cooke, Fortune Harbour, words from James Day, 1929 Additional words from Mrs. Minnie Payne, Green Point, 1929 THE CROWD OF BOLD SHAREMEN Collected from Manuel Roberts, Wesleyville (recorded on the S.S. Sagona), Gordon Willis, Fogo, Daniel Endicott, Sally’s Cove, 1929 THE WRECK OF THE STEAMSHIP ETHIE Collected from Daniel Endicott, Sally’s Cove, 1929, written by Miss Burney Easin, words recorded by Maude Roberts Simmonds,1920 SALLY BROWN Collected from Captain Gullage, aboard the S.S. Sagona, 1929 MAURICE KELLY Collected from Philip Major, Sally’s Cove, and Capt Gullage, S.S. Sagona, 1929 CHANGE ISLANDS SONG Sung by Wilfred Hoffe, Change Islands, 1929 GREEDY HARBOUR Words and Air composed by Jack Maher and Stephen Mullins, Sung by them on the S.S. Sagona, 1929 THE DOG SONG Composed and sung by Rev. J.T. Richards, Flowers Cove, 1929 ERIN’S GREEN SHORE Collected from Patrick Lewis, Fleur de Lys, 1929 THE DARK-EYED SAILOR Collected from Mrs. Rosie White, Sandy Cove, 1929 LADY MARGARET Collected from Mrs. Maude Roberts Simmons, Glenburnie, Bonne Bay,1930 |
White Rooster Theatre gratefully acknowledge the
support from our funders for the presentation of this project.
And our partners
Special Thanks
Des Walsh, Anita Best, Pamela Morgan, Neil V. Rosenberg, Anna Kearney Guigné, the staff at MUNFLA, Rising Tide Theatre, Donna Butt and performers for reading in 2020, Aaron Collis, Mark Manning, Heather Patey, Christina Smith, Paul Dean, Joshua Jamieson, Judy Foote, Terry Thompson, the late Larry Small, John Clarke, Erin Whitney, Julie Vogt, Tamsyn Russell, Gracie Reid, Folk Art Society, Krysta Rudofsky, Bob Hallett, Terra Bruce & the Majestic, Jenina MacGillivray, Jenn Deon, Anna Hansen-Robitschek, Persistence Theatre, Judith Yan, Patricia Andrews, Santiago Guzmán, Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre (PARC), Ashley Harding, Lois Brown, Wendi Smallwood, Ken Pittman, Paul Kinsman, Chuck Bucket, Dave Walsh, Alexis Koetting Colleen Power CHMR, Joshua Goudie MUN, Francesca Swann & Anthony Germaine CBC NL, Noah Sheppard VOCM.
Special Thanks to Isabel Bayrakdarian for her assistance with the Armenian folksong Keler Tsoler, and to Agnes Walsh for her recording of Patsy Judge singing Blooming Bright Star of Belle Isle.
Special Thanks to Isabel Bayrakdarian for her assistance with the Armenian folksong Keler Tsoler, and to Agnes Walsh for her recording of Patsy Judge singing Blooming Bright Star of Belle Isle.