While most people have a basic curiosity of their family ancestry, for Barb Perkins, of Erin, the unravelling of her own family history would inspire her to become a playwright and ultimately, a composer of her grandmother’s legacy in the production Homechild: The Musical.
“There was so much research to do, just finding the family members and reuniting with them,” said Perkins, who spent years travelling and investigating her heritage.
The story is loosely based on the life of Perkins’ paternal grandmother, Hilda T. Williams. It tells the tale of the people who endured the Child Emigration Movement of the early 1900s, known in Canada as the Barnardo Children.
Williams was born in Wales in 1898, the middle child of nine children. After the untimely death of her father, Williams, then eight years old, and three other siblings were placed in custody of an orphanage through the Christian orphanage known as a Barnardo Home, for what was believed to be a temporary care placement.
In 1907, Williams and her siblings, aged six to ten, were shipped to Canada and separated into different homes in different communities. It would be years before they reunited as young adults.
Perkins did not know her grandmother’s personal story until, as an adult, her father shared the story of finding his mother’s family in Wales, while stationed overseas in the Second World War, Perkins recalls.
The stories inspired Perkins to dig deeper into Williams’ history and tell her story.
“I certainly had never written a musical,” said Perkins of the adventure ahead. Yet she knew the story needed to be put to music, after experiencing the musical culture and tradition of her grandmother’s native land.
“It was an outpouring, something that had to be put to emotion,” she explained. “Music is an emotional connection for people. Music really touches us.”
In 1997, Perkins’ script was complete. The Charlottetown Festival accepted it to be workshopped as part of its new Canadian work series.
“The work is absolutely true to the nature of my initial script, it’s just more concise now,” said Perkins, who admits the process was humbling, but worthwhile. “There is no place for ego in this story.”
Perkins credits the support of her family for allowing her to share such a personal, tragic family history. But she considers this story one of healing the past by acknowledging it.
“I think the story is very accurate. I was able to base so much of this story on their lives,” said Perkins. “My family was really encouraging and it added to the reunion process. This is about reunion and how important that is, how it heals.”
“We premiered the play in Erin, in 2005. Relatives from Wales came to see it. It was very emotional,” Perkins said. “Then a group from Oakville did it [a production] in 2009 They did a wonderful job. In 2011, another group in Ottawa performed it.”
Perkins suggested it to the Orangeville theatre group.
“Earlier productions of this musical were extremely well received. This story is respectfully presented as a tribute to the Home Children and their descendants,” said Amanda Laughlin, vice president of Orangeville Music Theatre.
“This is an important chapter in the history of Canada and other British colonies. It has been quietly ignored in school texts.”
Added Laughlin, “Twelve per cent of the Canadian population are descendants of Home Children, so the story has wide appeal.”
Going into production in late August, Perkins credits the cast for tackling a steep learning curve in an emotional tale.
“It is a far cry from what they normally do … they have never heard the songs before, so they’ve had to learn every note from scratch,” she said.
Learning is an important part of the story for Perkins, for both actors and audiences alike.
“Audiences should expect to learn something about what happened. This is Canadian history,” said Perkins. “This is about family ties and how important they are, and how institutions, when they’ve broken them, can impact those ties for generations to come.”
She hopes young audiences will also enjoy the production.
“It may even help Canadian children to appreciate what young Canadian immigrants are going through,” she said.
When asked how she thought her grandmother would perceive the play, Perkins said, “I think she would be really happy because the story has been told and the Barnardo children are being recognized for what they contributed to Canada.”
Homechild: The Musical runs from Jan. 12 to 26 at the Orangeville Town Hall Opera House, at 87 Broadway. Performances begin at 8pm, with matinees at 2pm on Jan. 13 and 20. Admission is $20 for adults, $15 for children 12 and under. An additional box office fee is not included.
For tickets contact the box office at 519-942-3423 or visit orangevillemusictheatre.com.
