‘Six Strings & Stigma’ strikes the right chord

A unique musical collaboration between Londonderry’s best known musicians and those experiencing mental ill-health in the city culminated on Saturday, with the launch of the album ‘Six Strings & Stigma’.
Ruairi O'Doherty, who works at the Beacon Centre and produced the album, and Glen Rosborough from the band Intermission, who feature on the album. Photo: Tom Heaney, nwpresspicsRuairi O'Doherty, who works at the Beacon Centre and produced the album, and Glen Rosborough from the band Intermission, who feature on the album. Photo: Tom Heaney, nwpresspics
Ruairi O'Doherty, who works at the Beacon Centre and produced the album, and Glen Rosborough from the band Intermission, who feature on the album. Photo: Tom Heaney, nwpresspics

The launch took place at An Cultúrlann, and the album went on general release on Monday, October 14, at Cool Discs, Foyle Street and can also be downloaded at iTunes.

People of all ages attending the Clarendon Street Beacon centre, a mental health day-support service provided by Niamh (Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health), shared their written life stories with songwriters and singers from fourteen bands who then wrote and recorded songs based on these stories during summer 2013.

The bands appearing on the album include Paddy Nash & The Happy Enchiladas, Intermission, Teknopeasant, Tracy Cullen, The Murder Balladeers, Little Hooks, The Wood Burning Savages, The Ard Ri Band, Declan McLaughlin & The Hi-Flats, Jeanette Hutton, John Deery & The Heads, The Gatefolds, Tara Gi and We Are Aerials. All of the songs are based on the stories of people with long term mental ill health problems and the social stigma they have experienced. The song writers were presented with accounts of fear, isolation, ridicule and hope.

One contributor said: “I believe I gained a lot of perspective from talking to people, both staff and members at the Beacon Centre. It was such a change to be able to talk about my past without the feelings of guilt and being judged hanging over me. It has been a huge turning point in my life.”

Paddy Nash, who was one of the first songwriters to sign up to the project said: “Six Strings and Stigma is quite unique in that all songs sound very different from each other and yet there are these recurring themes of stigma, hope and strength. It was quite a challenging experience and I’m delighted to have been involved.”

Speaking at the launch, Beacon Project Worker and Album Producer Ruairi O’Doherty said: “This is one of the few albums ever produced that brings the creative talents of so many bands from Derry to focus on the major issue of mental ill-health. Six Strings and Stigma is unique in its inspiration and a moving tribute to the difficulties associated with mental health and the surrounding stigma.

“Never before have so many bands and musicians collaborated together and produced what is a musical montage of this quality and standard,” he added.

All 14 acts came together at An Cultúrlann on Saturday, which fell two days after World Mental Health Day, to perform the songs for the first time to a live audience.

Related topics: