LCIS logo

WOSAS : F340 WOSAS/CD126/track1
R358.wav

Fire Bird, The
a Jack Tale story; Fire Bird story

Sound recording, story; The Fire Bird, a wonder tale and Jack tale, told by Michael Harvey in the Tythe Barn at the Beyond the Border Festival, St Donats Art Centre, Llantwit Major, South Glamorgan, Wales, 4th July 2004.

An introduction to the story of Abram Wood's arrival in Wales, by Michael Harvey. Abram Wood was a colourful gypsy chieftan believed to be one of the first Romani gypsies to come to Wales in around 1730, bringing with him a tradition of music and storytelling. Followed by stockings and boots call and response, and story told by Michael Harvey accompanied by harp music.

Jack sets off to seek his fortune. He gains a companion in the form of a horse, and on his journey helps the King of the Herrings and a giant, before finding a beautiful golden feather. When the King sees the golden feather he demands that Jack brings him the bird whose feather it is. The horse takes Jack to the palace of a beautiful Princess where the bird is kept. Jack takes the bird to the King, who then demands the Princess. Jack returns to the Princess and with the horse's help tricks her into being captured on a boat filled with silk. When she realises she is trapped, the Princess throws a key over the side of the boat. When the King meets the Princess he falls in love, but on the request of the Princess Jack is then sent to fetch her palace. Jack calls on the help of the giant who carries the palace to the King. The King finds the door of the palace is locked and demands Jack brings him the key. Jack calls on the King of the Herrings to help him find the key. The Princess kills the King and marries Jack.

audience:- family
    recording quality
condition:- fair
completeness:- complete
duration:- 0 hours, 25 minutes, 8 seconds

Beyond the Border Festival was founded in 1993 by Ben Haggarty, Artistic Director of the Crick Crack Club, and David Ambrose, the then Director of St Donats Arts Centre, Wales. The Festival was founded as The Beyond the Border International Festival of Storytelling and Epic Singing, but became known simply as Beyond the Border. The festival ran from 1993 to 2006 co-directed by the two founders: with Ben Haggarty programming storytellers and David Ambrose programming musicians. Since 2007 the festival has been directed by David Ambrose. The festival is a weekend event running on the first weekend of July annually; attracting around 2,500 people from across Britain and from overseas. The festival is sited at St Donats Arts Centre and in the grounds of St Donats Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan on the South Coast of Wales. Beyond the Border was initiated as part of the UK Year of Literature in 1995. The successful bid submitted by Academi Wales, prominently featured a storytelling festival. The original Director of the UK Year of Literature was Maura Dooley, who had been at the South Bank Centre in London when Ben Haggarty ran the Third International Storytelling Festival there in 1989. Maura Dooley supported the proposal brought to her by Ben Haggarty and David Ambrose to hold an International festival and series of summer schools at St Donats Castle and to begin Beyond the Border in 1993 in order to build an audience and a core of Wales-based artists for the Year of Literature in 1995. However before the plan could be implemented Maura Dooley resigned from her post (the position was later taken by Sean Dorran). Despite this, St Donats Arts Centre was committed to the festival and Beyond the Border was launched in July 1993. The 1993, 1994 and 1995 festivals were accompanied by summer schools, which produced a number of storytellers including Megan Lloyd, Francis Maxey, Richard Berry and Michael Harvey.

storytelling:- storyteller: Michael Harvey
male / British

origin:- Wales
Romani; Gypsy


thumbnail, click for 
large
thumbnail, click for 
large
thumbnail, click for 
large
thumbnail, click for 
large
thumbnail, click for 
large
thumbnail, click for 
large
thumbnail, click for 
large
thumbnail, click for 
large
thumbnail, click for 
large
thumbnail, click for 
large
Festival programme

thumbnail, click  
for large
Michael Harvey performing during the festival

Click to enlarge images


programming:- Festival Co-Director: Ben Haggarty
Festival Co-Director: David Ambrose


administration:- administrator: St Donats Arts Centre


storytelling:- St Donats, Llantwit Major, South Glamorgan, Wales: St Donats Art Centre: Tythe Barn
04 Jul 2004
festival: Beyond the Border Festival


gift from:- St Donats Arts Centre


©  The London Centre for International Storytelling: 2007
mailto button  email to The LCIS