In a chance last-minute connection, Carolyn was invited to read her poetry with folk collective Garefowl to a full capacity audience at The Drama Studio, Sheffield.
Garefowl were playing in the city as part of the Talking Gigs world music events programme.
Violinist Ewan MacDonald is the direct descendant of one of four men who, in the 1840s killed the last known garefowl, also known as a great auk, on the Hebridean island of St. Kilda believing it was a witch. Today, MacDonald and Garefowl use location-based music and art to awaken people to the immense threat seabirds continue to face – an issue important to Carolyn.
By coincidence, she had written a poem on the strange and harrowing St. Kilda event a few years ago called Incident At St. Kilda after reading Jeremy Gaskell’s book Who Killed The Great Auk? (Oxford University Press, 2000) . When she messaged the band they invited her to read it live at their immersive performance.
Carolyn said: “When I read about the killing of the seabird in St. Kilda I was horrified but also fascinated by the folklore and superstition that led to it. That duality inspired me to put pen to paper.

“It was an honour and a privilege to hear recorded accounts from the inhabitants of St. Kilda’s permanently evacuated from the island. And to be able to read the poem alongside Garefowl’s haunting and evocative music which comes straight from the Hebridean rocks, seas and skies.”

See below for a full account of the evening. All photos: Colin Perkins.

by Talking Gigs.

Some of the pictures from Thursday’s fantastic multi media and musically emotive concert at the Performance Venues Drama Studio that connected the audience to the magic and mystery of St Kilda and the pathos linked to the island’s evacuation in 1930.
The concept concert featured the music of Garefowl and was hosted by TalkingGigs. The interview and music in the first half helped the audience relate to the band’s journey and their connection to St Kilda ; a special place where they conceived the tunes for their second album – “Things That Vanish” and where field recordings were later absorbed into the tunes -all with seabird titles.
Another special was the Great Auk poem reading from Carolyn Waudby which added an appropriately sobering touch regarding it’s demise.

A really well attended and appreciative audience were also generous in their donations to ASSIST Sheffield

Thanks to everyone who helped make this a gig to remember.