Beowulf: The Epic in Performance

Jan 07, 2007 11:49 AM Filed in: Things Medieval
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"Hwæt! Listen!" Imagine if you can the distant past, a time some twelve centuries ago. A cold and dark mid-winter's night. Outside the wind blows sharp and biting. Inside the bonfires are built high, smoke spiraling upwards, flames reaching into the air, fighting to keep the cold winter at bay and aid the sun's feeble dawning to come. The mead flows freely, and inside these walls the warmth of many bodies holds each of us close together like family, like tribe.

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To pass the dark hours away, tales are told, tales are sung. Tales of King Hroðgar, who built the great hall Heorot, and of Beowulf the hero from across the seas who came to defend Heorot, and of Grendel the fiend of the moors.
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What would such a night have felt like? Sound like? We will never know for sure, but in our imaginations it might sound very much like Benjamin Bagby's performance. For several years now Bagby has been traveling the world performing the tale in its original Old English and riveting audiences to their seat. From The Met in New York to island music festivals in Australia, Bagby has brought to life the age old tale of the hero Beowulf and of Grendel, that most fiendish of fiends, the monster of the misty moors.
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Now his performance is available on DVD. I've been following this production effort for over a year waiting for this release, and now, finally, it's here. For a sneak peak at the video, go to the Clip Art page.

All I can say is "Hwæt! Listen!"