Well, I had to go and see my daughter, Laura, perform with The Shining Levels again. This time was an afternoon event as part of the Durham Book Festival in partnership with Live Theatre. The performance was “A world-exclusive dramatic live reading from Benjamin Myers’ acclaimed novel, Cuddy, performed by the award-winning stage and screen actor Toby Jones alongside actress and writer Samantha Neale” and took place at the Gala Theatre Durham. Toby Jones is well known for his roles in film series including The Hunger Games and Harry Potter, and TV series such as Sherlock.
Cuddy (published by Bloomsbury, 2023) is the “experimental new novel from Benjamin Myers, the Durham-born author of The Gallows Pole, The Perfect Golden Circle, and The Offing. Cuddy is on the shortlist for the Goldsmiths Prize 2023. The novel evokes the spirit of St Cuthbert and traces the stories of ordinary people connected over 1,500 years to Cuthbert’s final resting place in Durham Cathedral.” (From the Durham Book Festival programme).
The performance consisted of Toby Jones and Samantha Neale reading extracts from Cuddy, interspersed with new songs written especially to accompany the book by The Shining Levels. This worked extremely well and the hour-long performance seemed to pass in an instant. Testimonies from the Book Festival programme describe the nature of the event below.
Benjamin Myers said: “To be able to bring my literary interpretation of the life and legacy of St Cuthbert back to the very cobbled streets on which the novel is set feels like an achievement, but to have one of the greatest and most versatile actors of his generation deliver it is beyond a dream come true. What a way to celebrate a saint, a story and a city.”
Rebecca Wilkie, Director of Durham Book Festival, New Writing North, said: “Durham Book Festival has a rich history of commissioning work that celebrates the literary history of Durham. When we read Durham author Benjamin Myers’ glorious and ambitious new novel, Cuddy, we knew we had to commemorate it at this year’s festival. It’s a love letter to County Durham, inspired by the enduring influence of St Cuthbert and the lives of people real and imagined, connected to Durham Cathedral across many centuries. It’s wonderful to be working with Jack McNamara and Live Theatre to dramatise an extract from the book and to see it brought to life by brilliant actors Toby Jones and Samantha Neale.
Jack McNamara, Artistic Director/ Joint Chief Executive Officer, Live Theatre, said: “Live is thrilled to partner with New Writing North and Durham Book Festival to bring a fragment of this magnificent North East novel to audiences. And who better to give St Cuthbert a voice than the always brilliant Toby Jones, who we’ve developed a very special relationship with over the last few years. Plus, bringing him together with amazing North East talent in Samantha Neale and The Shining Levels will be quite something witness. All hail St Cuddy!”
Cllr Elizabeth Scott, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “It’s an honour to have Toby Jones join us at Durham Book Festival. We’re excited to see how the team will bring Benjamin Myer’s Cuddy to life, especially given the significance the story of St. Cuthbert for the County Durham community.”
A truly exquisite event with great new songs by The Shining Levels. I already own a signed copy of Cuddy purchased courtesy of Waterstones. Many thanks to Chris for taking the pictures.
They blend folk, world music and roots in a “sprawling soundscape of songs ranging from the orchestral through psychedelic pop and ethereal pastoral ballads and beyond, tipping its hat to a myriad of musical influences and styles. All delivered with the drama and exquisite vocal harmonies The Shining Levels are known for.” The venue is quite intimate and holds 30 people, so Jan and I arrive quite early to ensure a good view of the proceedings. I partake in a lovely large glass of red and a salami wrap. Perfect.
The performance is in two parts. First the band play music inspired by local author Benjamin Myers book The Gallows Pole, which I have seen them perform before, and which has recently been televised as a major BBC TV series. After a short interval the content of the music changes to songs to support Pat Barker’s book The Silence of the Girls. Pat Barker is another, quite famous and successful, local author. Both sets combine readings from the book with a selection of songs based around the themes within the story.
“Inspired by the real life events of 18th century Yorkshire criminal gang the Cragg Vale Coiners who operate in the Upper Calder Valley in the Pennines, the album’s source material …… has rapidly become a modern cult classic. Drawing on a shared childhood and background with the author (songwriter Dave is best friends with author Benjamin Myers).
The Shining Levels’ music explores themes from the book: an England divided, the potency and mystery of remote rural landscapes, industrial progress, the changing seasons, shifting fortunes, self-delusion and self-aggrandizement, poverty vs wealth, societal power structures – and strange visions of mythical creatures …… The bucolic meet the technological, and the rural collides with the digital to thrilling effect.” (Piccadilly Records, 2019).
As described above, the music is a mix of folk and swirling, meandering songs which tell aspects of the dark days discussed in the book. Vocals are shared between all four: Laura who also makes excellent use of a loop machine, Christina who plays haunting flute, Jenny who accompanies the others with atmospheric violin and singer-songwriter Dave who also provides solid backline with keyboards and guitar.
Part 2. The Silence of the Girls.
The book is described as: “The Silence of the Girls is an electrifying revision of The Iliad which for the first time gives voice to the women enslaved by the Greek army headed by the god-like warrior Achilles, through the main character Briseis.” The readings are quite haunting, as is the music, each song focusing on one aspect from the book.
Of course, I am biased, being the very proud father of one of the members Laura, but the short quotation above also demonstrates just how haunting a combination their music can be. The performance is over far too soon and then we are off into our waiting taxi. Soon we are back home, having met up with Joanne, who helps me back into my bed, the music still swirling around in my head.
The Shining Levels are: Laura Smith – Lead vocalists and looper extraordinaire; Christina Cuthbertson – Vocals, flute and percussion; Jenny Clewes – Vocal and violin; Dan Coggins – Songwriter/Producer – bass, guitars, keyboards, weird noises and vocals and Davey J – Songwriter, bass, guitars, keyboards, piano and vocals. Dan was not present this evening, but will perform with the band at their next show (which I will also attend) at Durham Gala Theatre.
“I do what no man before me has ever done, I kiss the hands of the man who killed my son,” declares Priam when he prostrates himself before Achilles begging for Hector’s body. “And I do what countless women before me have been forced to do,” Briseis thinks bitterly, “I spread my legs for the man who killed my husband and my brothers.”
The Durham Launderette is a quirky venue which is, yes, a real launderette in Durham which features bands on the evening playing in front of the washing machines! It sounds crazy but it works well. 
. Pat Barker herself approached the group suggesting they give her novel a similar treatment, very much enjoying the synergy of music and literature.”
We arrived early and took our seats close to the front for a good view. The music of the Shining Levels is difficult to categorise. They blend folk, world music and roots in a “sprawling soundscape of songs ranging from the orchestral through psychedelic pop and ethereal pastoral ballads and beyond, tipping its hat to a myriad of musical influences and styles. All delivered with the drama and exquisite vocal harmonies The Shining Levels are known for.”
The evening was a mixture of songs by the band further illustrated by some readings from the book, which I found quite harrowing in the graphic descriptions of female abuse by the men in the Greek army.
The album The Silence of the Girls has just been released by the Butterfly Effect label. In fact, the albums arrived at the venue hot off the press and we bought one of the first copies, getting the inner sleeve signed by the entire band.
The Shining Levels are: Laura Smith – Lead vocalists and looper extraordinaire; Christina Cuthbertson – Vocals, flute and percussion; Jenny Clewes – Vocal and violin; Dan Coggins – Songwriter/Producer – bass, guitars, keyboards, weird noises and vocals and Davey J – Songwriter, bass, guitars, keyboards, piano and vocals.
This was my second 
time dark and powerful, their sounds can be.
A taxi from Sunderland to Darlington (return) is expensive. But, what the hell, my lovely daughter Laura was singing in the band The Shining Levels at 
and transfixed the audience in their haunting, swirling mix of sounds. The eclectic combination of folk music, book readings and mix of flute, violin, a female trio of vocals and male vocals has to be experienced to understand just how beautiful, yet at the same time dark and powerful, their sounds can be. 
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