PRESS
“A Mother’s Voice does a beautiful job of centering survivors and transforms powerful testimony into performance with thoughtfulness and care. This is important work, blending activism and artistry, and I hope many other audiences have the opportunity to experience it.”
Shea Donovan, Indigo Arts Collective
“The work “A Mother’s Voice” shines a light on a shameful part of recent Irish History regarding mother and baby homes, and the International interest this work has attracted goes to show the relevance and sensitivity in which the group treated such difficult subject matter. Musici Ireland are presenting unique productions, centering socially aware subject matters and using art to inform audiences about Irish history.”
Catherine Kontz, composer and Artistic Director of Rainy Days Festival, Luxembourg
“A Mother’s Voice opened with the sombre sounds from a foursome of musicians using strings and synths, before a series of off-stage voices succinctly conveyed the inhumane treatment of women in the infamous mother and baby homes in Ireland. The point was made that these homes, and the often-aggressive mistreatment of those forcibly housed in them, resulted from collusion between the Catholic Church and the Irish State, but it was also sustained by the see-no-evil approval of members of the “flock” who could always plead that they were merely following orders.
Some might argue that there is little new to be said about the subject, but we need to be constantly reminded of what can happen when we, the public, turn our eyes away from what is going on around us and avoid asking the obvious questions. So this production of A Mother’s Voice was an essential reiteration that there is no limit to the savagery humans are capable of foisting on each other. To that end much credit must go to Musici Ireland, Beth McNinch and Jane Hackett as creators and directors of this staging which, although comparatively short, conveyed much in the time chosen.
The voices of Deirdre Wadding, “Cait” and Sheila O Byrne were most effective in illustrating the reality of what went on behind those tightly closed doors. Indeed, it might be argued that the disembodiment of their voices was as accurate a reflection of the devaluation of the abused women as their spoken testaments.”
Jackie Hayden