WHEN Welsh speaker Sioned Gwen Davies first came to Scotland, she was shocked to find the Scots and Gaelic languages are struggling to survive.
It’s one of the reasons the mezzo-soprano is delighted to be starring in Scots Opera Project’s forthcoming productions of a Celtic folk opera, The Seal Woman, and a new Scots language version of Charpentier’s chamber opera, Actéon.
Glasgow-based Davies, a former Scottish Opera Emerging Artist, said she found it interesting to see the connections between Welsh, Gaelic and Scots.
“In Wales we have had to fight hard for our language, so wherever I go I try to learn a little bit about the language there,” said Davies, who only started speaking English when she was eight years old.
“The Welsh language was the only language I spoke at home and at school and even today, I still wonder if I am using the right English words,” she told the Sunday National.
Davies knows only too well how minority languages can be misunderstood.
“When I first left Wales to study in London, people thought Welsh was an accent rather than an actual language,” she said. “Even now people think that because I speak Welsh I must be able to understand Gaelic but it is a completely different language.”
She is looking forward to starring in the productions which begin this week in Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Explorers Garden and its amphitheatre.
As well as being presented in a new Scots language translation, Actéon features a clarsach and violin accompaniment.
“The harp and violin add to the magic and give a folk flavour to it,” said Davies. “You start to forget it is a French baroque opera and you start to believe it is the tales of someone from Scotland. It takes the form of a promenade through the garden and is a good introduction to opera to those who are not familiar with it.”
Both productions are presented by The Scots Opera Project, which is known for its commitment to presenting opera through the lens of Scottish culture and language and was previously nominated for both a Scots Language Award and a Scottish Gaelic Award in the Arts and Culture category for Dido and Aeneas.
It is based on the folk legend of the mythical selkie and is inspired and created from songs of the Scottish Hebrides such as the Eriskay Love Lilt, The Seal Woman’s Sea Joy and Sea Sounds.
“I think the setting with the hills and trees in the background is absolutely perfect, and you can hear the nearby river running which just adds something magical to it,” said Davies.
“It is also so nice to have the community choir be a part of it and they are absolutely loving using the language because it is so unique to the country.
“It is a nice setting for children as well, especially if they have read the selkie stories.”
David Douglas of the Scots Opera Project said: “We are absolutely delighted to be returning to Pitlochry Festival Theatre this year with not one, but two very special productions.
“The Seal Woman is a gem of an opera that deserves to be heard far and wide, and there’s no better place to share it than the beautiful outdoor amphitheatre at Pitlochry.
“We’re also thrilled to present Actéon in a new Scots language translation, as a promenade garden opera that invites audiences into a rich, sensory experience of nature and music.
“These works speak to our cultural heritage and offer something truly distinctive to audiences – we can’t wait to share them.”
As well as Davies, the singers include Ayrshire tenor David Douglas, Perthshire soprano Colleen Nicoll, Austrian mezzo-soprano, Ulrike Wutscher and former Scottish Opera Emerging Artist baritone Colin Murray.
The Seal Woman runs from August 28 to September 14 and Actéon from August 30 to September 13
