Tyburnia, Traverse Theatre

The Traverse Theatre Edinburgh, in connection with the EIFF, presented a most interesting evening as part of the festival’s Black Box platform. As to be expected with a filmmaker like James Holcombe and in keeping with Black Box’ experimental ethic, his docu-drama TYBURNIA is far from conventional and might not necessarily appeal to the 'under age drinker' – or the historically and politically ignorant!

However, if the sound of something like Albert Ayler's saxophone is music to your ears then Holcombe's admittedly deeply avant-garde film about the history of Tyburn may just appeal to you. For those less acquainted with Tyburn, for many centuries the name Tyburn was synonymous with capital punishment, it having been the principal place for execution of London criminals and convicted traitors including many religious martyrs, and of course highwaymen. The place was close to where Marble Arch in London is now situated.

Holcombe is a filmmaker who has no wish to be 'commercial' and should be applauded for his bravery. Some may consider this territory to be verging on the self-indulgent. He has put a lot of work into this ‘avantgarde history’ of Tyburn. Not only is it is filled with information about Tyburn but juxtaposed with more contemporary events. We are also treated to rather a lot of psychedelic-patterned flash imagery - which are perhaps far more significant than you may initially realize. This director is first and foremost an artist. The film was shown with some live music supplied by the Dead Rat Orchestra (an appropriate name) who are, in fact, a duo playing a number of diverse instruments and had the courtesy to play barefooted. It goes without saying that they too have put, like the director, a lot of research into the project and supplied us with a number of ancient street ballads to accompany the film throughout. My only minor complaint is that W.G. Ross's ‘The Ballad of Sam Hall’ wasn't utilised. That said, Mr. Holcombe may have found the use of a popular melodramatic ballad inappropriate.

On to the lavishly illustrated album, aptly titled TYBURNIA – A RADICAL HISTORY OF 600 YEARS OF PUBLIC EXECUTION. As already mentioned, The Dead Rat Orchestra only consists of two persons. If they wish to refer to themselves as an orchestra why shouldn't they? After all, did not Charles-Valentin Alkan compose a concerto for solo piano? That said, both of these versatile musicians are proficient on a number of diverse instruments. This album was made in conjunction with the aforementioned film and is in fact the soundtrack to it. Obviously there is no reason why the CD cannot be heard sans film. Mind you, it would not be quite so easy the other way around as the soundtrack is an integral part of Holcombe's film.

Tyburnia does not exactly make for easy listening, especially for the uninitiated. Mann and Merrill’s versatility as musicians cannot be denied. As Holcombe describes his film as a 'radical history of 600 years of Public Executions' you may get some idea of the range of instruments that are played here. In this case it is the 17th century that seems to pervade throughout, therefore the music naturally has a folky feel - how could it not? Holcombe's field recordings only enhance this ambience after the charnel house dirge of the short instrumental 'The Tiborne Nagge' (picture yourself in chains surrounded by the stink of death, awaiting the cart to take you from Newgate to Tyburn for your date with Jack Ketch-lovely). The mournful lament of ‘The Jesuits Exultation’ is sang mostly solo and with true pathos - with a bit of what sounds like a hurdy-gurdy sparingly used. ‘Oliver Plunkett (an Irish roman catholic priest who came to an untimely end in the 17th century as the result of a popish plot) and Reverend Tripos’ follow yet another dirge – however, since there are no sleeve notes supplied (rather annoying that!) we listen to what sounds like a taped recording of another band rendering 'Abide with Me'. Then we hear what could be an oratory from Speakers Corner. Well have things changed that much since the 12th century? There are no public executions but idealists still continue to be pilloried - take Mr. Corbyn for example. Tyburn Tree is from Gay's rollicking ‘Beggar's Opera’, evoking memories of the folk legend himself the man who escaped from Newgate on a number of occasions and was hanged in his early 20's: Jack Shepherd, no less! Naturally all of the tracks are significant and represent a slice of Tyburn's grim history. The ‘South Sea Bubble' fiasco will be familiar to most students of economical history. ‘Tony's Lamentation’ and ‘The Sheriffs of Connaught Square’ cannot possibly fail to draw comparisons with that fashionable square's most well known current resident.
The only exception is the deeply significant ‘A Defence Of Woman’ which is performed by Lisa Knapp and was originally written by Ester Sowernam. The fact that many a woman was executed at Tyburn makes it all the more significant.

The Carpenter's Arms pub still has - one is informed - some ancient relics from the 'good old days' in its ancient old cellar. If you haven't heard of the Thieftaker General (yet another scoundrel who kept an appointment by the tree and whose body is in that charming little museum opposite Sloane's House in Lincoln's Inn Fields) this album may well be wasted on you. Nicely recorded too. This is darkly compelling stuff and a document of considerable interest to those who have an interest in the macabre side of history. Obviously some may find it a little offensive, which is at least half the point one would imagine.

(www.deadratorchestra.co.uk) / (www.jamesholcombe.net)