-by April MacDonald
The Ships of 1801 refers to a fleet of five vessels – the Nora, Sarah, Dove, Hope, and Good Intent – that brought Scottish Highland immigrants from Scotland to Pictou Harbour, Nova Scotia.
These settlers sought to escape oppression, preserve their Gaelic language, and own land.
Today, the legacy of these settlers is carried on by a local theatre group and they have a brand new production coming to Strathspey, called Father Moses Coady and the Sisters of Saint Martha Go to Keppoch.
Interviewing Duncan MacDonald, he explained about how the Ships of 1801 Society came to be, and how the shows have evolved over time.
For the past 12 years they have been producing original concerts that consist of about 60 percent dialogue and 40 percent music and song. “With this new production, Moses Coady has plenty of dialogue,” said MacDonald. He added that the show is heavy in sarcasm as well as comedy. With most of their shows they blend Gaelic verse, traditional folk songs, step dancing, and live narration to tell the poignant stories of the main characters of their historical stories.
In their portfolio they have three original shows; their first was the arrival of the five ships in 1801 and was about those people who came on the ships arguing somewhat if they made the right decision. Begging the question, should we have stayed?
Their second was The Ridges, which is the story of Mabou settlers.
MacDonald explained that the last seven or eight years they have been focused on Keppoch.
MacDonald said it centres on farmers who moved there as well as the poor. “There is no community there now,” added MacDonald.
He spoke to the importance and the purpose of the cooperative movement, in which Moses Coast was one of the founders. “Moses Coady tried to tell them how to sustain themselves and a future for the area,” said MacDonald.
The show can be described as a day in the life of Father Coady and the Sisters of Saint Martha.
MacDonald explained that the show is closely based on real life. “It was very important to us to stick to who Moses Coady and the Sisters really were. We did extensive research and interviews to maintain truth and integrity for Keppoch, the people who lived there and Coady and the Sisters,” said MacDonald.
He said the show is filled with music, song and dance, and that there are 31 people in the show who range from ages six to 85 years old. “The show is portrayed as a ‘ceilidh community’ and is done in two acts, most of the show takes place at the MacLean House in the 1940s, which is the beginning of the Credit Union Cooperative and Library in Antigonish,” he explained.
“We write original music and also use recognizable songs,” said MacDonald. “The Ballad of Moses Coady is an original song,” he added. MacDonald said there would be step dancing and well as highland dancing.
The shows in Antigonish were sold out.
MacDonald closed by saying that they are excited to be working with Brenda Dunphy at Strathspey Place and carrying on that partnership.
The show is on July 7th at 7:00 pm in Mabou at Strathspey Place!
Here is a brief synopsis:
During the early 1900s, the farmers and fishermen in Nova Scotia were struggling to make a living. Influenced by his cousin Fr. Jimmie Tompkins, Fr. Moses Coady, through the Extenstion Dept at St FX undertook the task of trying to organize and improve the lives of the people. The Ships of 1801, through their twelfth original show will present a historical production that will portray a day in the life of Fr Coady along with two Sisters from St Martha’s as they visit the struggling farming community on the Keppoch. The show will tell the story with a cast of 25 using comedy and dialogue along with original and traditional music.