Gable End Theatre, Hoy, Orkney, 16 June 2012

CHRIS STOUT’s Brazilian Theory Band wound up their Scottish tour at The Gable End Theatre in Hoy.

CHRIS explained to us that the Scottish tour was also a vessel in which to show his Brazilian compatriots “the better parts of Scotland”. Looking at the tour so far they have certainly seen Scotland at it’s finest, Hoy providing a spectacular wild setting for them to finish off seeing the sights.

Chris Stout's Brazilian Theory Band at the Gable End (photo Barry Jones)

The newly refurbished theatre’s decor complimented and mirrored the warm, friendly atmosphere where theatre directors are on hand to welcome the audience and usher us towards the bar then to the stage. Once we were seated, Chris and his band were introduced by theatre director Lindsay Hall in a style that echoed music halls and cabarets of the past.

Opening with a tune called ‘Latina’, the band treated us to a precise and eclectic mix of genres, enabling the musicians and their instruments to introduce themselves by demonstrating their skill and range through solos and improvisation. ‘Latina’ proved to be a taste of what was to come. Next came a Brazilian dance number based on traditional five rhythm. It contained Arabic and Oriental influences that mixed with the Latin sounds more traditionally associated with the region.

Rohrer’s soprano sax was exchanged for the rabecca, a Brazilian folk violin brought across from Portugal, a unique instrument with the look of a primitive fiddle. Baiao de Cinco demonstrated the cultural melting pot and pride that Brazil has in its multicultural identity, a sentiment echoed in Scottish folk tradition. Due to their location, Shetland and Orkney are historic thoroughfares to the rest of the world. The Northern Isles have the merging of cultures in common with Brazil.

‘Fisherman’s Prayer’ was written by Stout, based on a Shetland tune called ‘The Auld Swaara’. The story had particular resonance with this island community. The ‘auld swaara’ or jumper hanging on the line had once belonged to a fisherman who was lost at sea. The rabecca added another level of emotional depth to an already haunting lament that was further bolstered by a broken chord guitar accompaniment.

Moving into a more Latin-influenced phase, the familiar story of the Brazilian pescador was told who faced the same perils as his Shetland counterpart, and whose loss would leave a similar scar on his Brazilian fishing village. A reminder that costal communities are brought together through tragedy and the relationship between humans and the sea is an experience shared by those living around it.

Two happier compositions took us to the end of the first half, Stout’s ‘Devil’s Advocate’ and a tune which until the Shetland leg had no name. A Shetland audience gave Thomas Rohrer’s piece the name ‘Hentilagets’, which is the Shetland name for pieces of wool seen blowing around in fields. ‘Hentilagets’ was an international tune but showed considerable European influence. The new

Shetland name seemed to fit as parts of this piece had a Scandinavian feel similar to folk tunes from Shetland’s tradition.

We were left on a high for the interval where musicians and audience had the chance to mingle at the bar and refresh themselves in time for the raffle. Chris treated us to some raffle related tales and due to quizzing at the bar about the “unusual fiddle” we were given a brief question and answer session where Thomas Rohrer gave his the story of his instrument and the man who made it. Every one has it’s own unique look and sound as there is no set blue print.

Chris Stout and Thomas Rohrer (photo Barry Jones)

‘Ze Gomes’ started us off with a quiet duet between the fiddle and rabecca. The piece really showed off the range of the two instruments, their similarities and differences. It was a balanced piece where both instrument’s strengths were intelligently shared between accompaniment and main melody. The two shifted from sounding like a fiddle duo to a fiddle/cello partnership. Drones and chords made by the rabecca brought a richness that was truly amazing and somewhat hard to believe when faced with such a comparatively primitive instrument.

Chris then left us to enjoy a purely Brazilian interlude where Carlinhos Antunes introduced us to the Cuatro, a 10-string Latin guitar, with ‘Maria Rosa’. ‘Pe Quebrado’ saw Chris return to another tune that was almost familiar. We were taken through a range of emotions by Quartet Original. They played their instruments with precision amidst the passion that can potentially create chaos. Order was restored by Carlinhos and has guitar picking melody that subtly lead us out of the tumult.

This was the note we thought we would be left with, but the boys returned for an encore of one last Brazilian and a Shetland number. Taking a few moments for Carlinhos to tune the Cuatro gave Rui Barossi time to interject with a well known Brazilian joke about Cuatro players who spend a third of their life tuning, the other third playing out of tune and the last third telling this joke! Once all instruments were ready to go they began to build on an introduction of fiddle and rabecca pizzicato by adding a characteristically eclectic mix of influences. The ‘Unst Bride’s March’ was the parting note, the intention being to leave us feeling “warm and weddingy”. Unst’s bridal march was in parts quite a sombre tune as again the fiddle and rabecca demonstrated their harmonious partnership with the droning chords of the rabecca and ringing strings of the Fair Isle fiddle creating a sound like a harpsichord.

The night as a whole had the feel of a ceilidh in the traditional sense. It was a night of sharing tradition and experience through music and story-telling. Although Sao Paulo and Shetland are miles apart geographically their closeness in culture and experience is reflected in the music of the two regions. The quartet exposed us to a plethora of different sounds and emotions though their music which was made all the more spectacular given there were only four musicians on stage. The ethos of the Gable End lends itself perfectly to this kind of showcase in that the warmth created by subtle and considered touches of the directors of this community theatre, enables the audience to have an experience that is unique and grass roots where everyone who’s present is left with the feeling of having contributed valuably even if only there to listen.

© Euphemia Matheson, 2012

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