Words of a Fiddler’s Daughter - The Tears of Jenny Greenteeth

The third album by acclaimed trio Words of a Fiddler’s Daughter, namely fiddler Adam Summerhayes, accordionist Murray Grainger and poet and storyteller Jessie Summerhayes, is a surprising adaptation of the well-known and dark folk tale of Jenny Greenteeth. It was conceived as the soundtrack for a folk ballet including six dancers who, whilst on the stage, interact with the musicians and the narrator.

This story and its main character, generally associated with a feeling of fear and horror, are set in a wider context of a greater community suffering from the poisonous effects of human greed and anger. The tale runs through a series of twists and turns towards a finale where good and evil epilogues are equally possible.

If much of the musicians’ work is normally focused on real places and stories, The Tears of Jenny Greenteeth provides a shift to a folkloric tale with the almost inevitable amount of magical and supernatural elements. These are vividly reproduced, not only by the lyrical and refined storytelling, but also by the spontaneous fiddle and accordion interplay we can always expect from them.

Words and music unfold, change pace and mood as a unique entity, accompanying the listener through an intricate and refined arabesque of music and words to grasp the message of love and humanity of this version of the tale.

Melancholy and joy, obscurity and hope interweave in this beautifully conceived and masterfully crafted work, which provides a new and very modern angle from which we can observe this tale. A meaningful call to action in our troubled times delivered through an ancient story and a notable array of musical and literary talent.