Appropriation versus preservation: The dilemma of folk-opera

John Andrews
Thursday, June 19, 2025

Ahead of the release of his new recording of ‘The Seal-Woman’ with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera, conductor John Andrews explores how composer Marjory Kennedy-Fraser walks the line between appropriation and preservation while using Hebridean folk music as the basis for her work

'Kennedy-Fraser undoubtedly saw the music of the islands as an authentic expression of a people –specifically women – largely untouched by the modern world and cultural influences' (The Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye ©Adobe Stock)
'Kennedy-Fraser undoubtedly saw the music of the islands as an authentic expression of a people –specifically women – largely untouched by the modern world and cultural influences' (The Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye ©Adobe Stock)

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