When Art Imitates Life — Lessons from a School Concert

I’ve just finished watching my eldest’s school concert. OK, bear with me… this isn’t a schmaltzy ‘my-kid’s-great’ piece.

Twas the tale of a Nia Ben Felen (Fair Haired Nia — my kids go to a Welsh medium school).

It’s a story where Osian (let’s maybe call him ‘the PM’, just because) of Erin (duw, let’s call it UK), is encouraged to live each day as it comes and not look beyond the horizon.

The PM, sorry, Osian, feels his time as leader’s gone on too long though and doesn’t like the look of the what lies ahead. The grass looks greener on the other more colourful, youthful side.

Then one day the PM and his men spot the beautiful Nia (not sure who this is to be honest), from Tir Na Nog (let’s call this place the EU though!). The PM likes what Nia’s all about and the sound of this EU, Tir na Nog, place.

So, the PM decides to align with Tir Na Nog and spends 300 years (in Erin time, 3 in Tir na Nog time) there. As time passes he gets ‘hiraeth’ — a longing for the homeland of yesteryear.

Against the wishes of the people of Tir Na Nog, Osian, the PM, realigns away from Tir Na Nog to Erin. However, when he gets back to Erin, things aren’t what he was expecting or hoping for. Nothing turns out as he predicted and then one day, when he falls down from his lofty position on a horse, he hits the ground and instantly dies.

The people of Erin and Tir Na Nog face off, blaming each other for the death of Osian, before turning on the audience, (let’s call them the people), to blame them.

In the final scene Nia muses, isn’t it better to have loved and lost, than to not have loved at all… I don’t know Nia. Is it?

Le Fin

I’ve never cried at a school play before.