Will Parsons- The Leaves of Life
Function of Performance: dealing with the sacred or demonic.
Traditional singer Will Parsons is attempting to resurrect the British tradition of pilgrimage. He practices a kind of song-pilgrimage, where he takes traditional music, whether religious or secular, back to where it was originally sung. He recontextualizes music into the setting and location in which it originated. His work is deeply rooted in the spiritual, whether it is a connection to land, or religious subject matter.
Parson’s believes that practicing pilgrimage fulfills important spiritual functions for people. A pilgrimage enables us to get back in touch with our land, our culture, and ourselves. For more information about his work, I would recommend looking into the British Pilgrimage Trust, an organization which he was involved with for a number or years.
In this video, Parsons performs the Romany British Christian Carol, “The Leaves of Life”, in Wells Cathedral. This solemn song speaks to the grief felt by Mary over the death of Christ. In his performance, Parsons taps into the solemn intensity of the piece, and allows it to be a expression of universal grief and mourning. Both the setting, and the content of the piece are overtly spiritual, but so too is Parson’s belief that music has the ability to connect us to history, land, and our own emotions. Therefore, this piece fulfills the role of performance as a way of engaging with the sacred.
Works Cited:
Parsons, William. “ The Leaves of Life (Traditional British Romany Easter carol) - in Wells Cathedral Chapter House”. YouTube, uploaded by Will Walking, March 14th 2020.
Schechner, Richard. Performance Studies: An Introduction. New York, Routledge, 2002.
