There was more strength in singing : community, identity, and the performance of memory in the folk of the sea choir, 1994-2000

McEwen, Annie Rosalind (2011) There was more strength in singing : community, identity, and the performance of memory in the folk of the sea choir, 1994-2000. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This thesis examines the vernacular choral response to the cod moratorium created by the choral group Folk of the Sea and its memory construction more than a decade later, providing insights into Newfoundland's cultural reactions to sudden changes of identity and way of life. The ethnography upon which this study rests was collected through personal and telephone interviews during the summer of 2010 and the winter of 2011. First, the thesis introduces the reader to the beginnings of the choir and the seventeen informants who were interviewed for this study. A history of the Newfoundland cod fishery leading up to the moratorium is recounted as well as a history of singing, both solo and choral in Newfoundland. Chapter Three recounts the first ever concert by Folk of the Sea and analyzes the meaning and relationships revealed in the performance. In Chapter Four, the concept of the performance of the memory of performance is examined and some of the narratives collected from the informants for this thesis are included to demonstrate the vividness of emotional memory. The influence of place on identity is the topic of the Chapter Five and the persuasive uses of regional folklore are discussed. Finally, Chapter Six shows how a Folk of the Sea performance combats the stereotypes commonly placed upon the Newfoundland fisher.

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