Our review of In Freedom's Cause: The Real Story of Wallace and Bruce

I am very excited announce that we were chosen to review In Freedom's Cause: The Real Story of Wallace and Bruce!!

 

I am a big fan of audio theater so when we were offered In Freedom's Cause Single Package by Heirloom Audio Productions I jumped at the chance to review the items provided.

The In Freedom's Cause Single package comes with the Physical CD set, an MP3 digital download of the soundtrack, a digital download of the study guide, and a printable copy of the prayer of William Wallace.

I was expecting the above items and was blown away by all of the extras the company added to our review items. We received the 2 CD set, a total running time of 2 1/2 hours of non stop action, and a link to a multitude of bonus features! 

Within the bonus features we were provided were ebooks, audio downloads, video downloads, and "other" items. All of which were pretty amazing. While many of the bonus features we received were not part of the Single Package they are available as part of the Family Four Pack Package.

Under the ebooks tab I found the complete script of the production on a beautifully produced  full color background. I enjoyed following along with the script as the actors progressed through the adventure and peril of the storyline. I am a visual person so having the ebook helped me to "see" the story.

Also under the ebook tab was a Study Guide and Discussion Starter. This is a 49 page full color study guide filled with a wealth of information. The guide begins with a "teachers guide" page explaining how to you the study guide with your children. This was followed by a brief description of  G.A. Hently, Sir William Wallace, and Robert the Bruce. This was extremely helpful for our family as we had not studied this particular time in history. This was 100% new information for our children so it was nice to have a brief introduction into the historical significance of the audio production we were about to listen to.


After the brief introduction the guide proceeds to outline each individual section:

Listening Well with questions to ask your child from the listening chapter.

Thinking Further with questions to get your child thinking deeper into the story lines and increase their understanding of the story.

Defining Words are added to help build your child's vocabulary and increase their understanding of the storyline.


Printing out the study guide and putting it into a three ring binder is a nice simple way to keep up with the pages and makes it very simple to flip through and work with your children on the material covered.

At the very end of the study guide there are three brief Bible studies that may help you and your child
better understand some of the Biblical themes found withing the storyline.  There is also a note on the history of Scotland for those who have not studied Scotland before, and a recommended reading list for parents and older children who would like to know more about Sir William Wallace and his times.

The last section in the ebook bonus features is a Cast of Characters Roadmap. This is a 5 page breakdown of each of the characters backgrounds and rolls in the program.

This comes in very handy when you have little ones that need some help remembering exactly who is who within the storyline....or for mom's that might need a little help as well!

Printing this out and adding it to your study guide binder makes it easy to find and check while listening to the story or while answering the study guide questions.


Next up we had the Audio tabs! Within this section there was a MP3 download of both disks found in the set. I found this to be very helpful for the scatterbrained mom who forgot the CD's in the van and didn't feel like going out in the -12 degree temps to retrieve them. You can simply play the program on your computer without the physical CD's!

Also in this section is the official soundtrack of the audio program. The score was written by Emmy-winning compose John Campbell!

Even though this is an Audio Theater production there is a video element available. In the bonus features I found a 30min behind the scenes documentary  with the cast, crew, and actors in the studio. I find these types of things to be fascinating as do my children. It is fun to watch how the program is recorded and what exactly the actors are doing while recording their parts.

Last but not least we have the "other" tab in the bonus features. Here I found a cast poster, Wallace's Prayer and a link to the membership website. My children love to hang things on their bedroom walls
so the posters and prayers are a big hit in our house. The membership website has free unlimited access to all of the above bonuses. The website is constantly updated with new downloads, free resources and extra information on William Wallace and In Freedom’s Cause.

 What about the actual In Freedom's Cause production? This is an audio drama, not an audio book. What exactly does THAT mean? Instead of a single person reading from a book this is a theatrical production. We are treated with background music, professional actors, sound effects, and a great deal of adventure and suspense. As we follow young Archie Forbes as he joins forces with Freedom fighters William Wallace and Robert the Bruce it is impossible not to begin to join in with the farmers and merchants. We cheer for them as they chose to fight against the oppression of the occupying armies.  We sit on the edge of our seats as they enter into battle. We morn for those that fall in battle. It is impossible not to become involved in the production and emotionally involved in the outcome. 

I really can't say enough good things about this program. The quality of the production was top notch and the actors were amazing at making the program "come alive" to the children. Listening to the action and adventure through out the CD's really sparked an interest in their hearts. I as a parent appreciated the short chapters, many of which were under 10min, and the easy to use study guide and resources. It was quite simple to pop the CD in, or pull up the MP3 files, and listen to a section of the story when we had time throughout the day.

Listeners will travel through time with young Archie Forbes as he becomes involved with Scotland’s most influential freedom fighters William Wallace and Robert the Bruce.
In Freedom’s Cause a beautiful 2 CD set with an insert filled with ideas and a copy of the prayer by William Wallace.  A theatrical performance by Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abby as Anna), Billy Boyd (Lord of the Rings, Master and Commander), Skandar Keynes, (Chronicles of Narnia), Cathy Sara (Woman in Black, Topsy-Turvy), and James Cosmo (Highlander and Braveheart).  Your child will join with the faith and vision of William Wallace to join with farmers, shepherds and merchants to defeat a mighty army. You’ll learn about the faith of William Wallace, his courage and strength of character. Walk along side them as they forever change the history of Scotland.  King Robert the Bruce was inspired to eventually gain Scotland’s freedom. Learn the real history of the faith Wallace had in God.  Included in the CD is Psalms 23. Wallace, at his execution, read these words as King Edward’s men tortured him. Let your children learn that freedom is worth fighting for.
Two hours of Non Stop Adventure for ages 6-Adult “Building the next generation by brining the lessons of history to life” through Listening captivating the imagination. Time Travel into fun and exciting adventures. Teach strong moral values like courage, conviction an Character. 48 page Study Guide included to help parents engage with their children.
- See more at: http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/in-freedoms-cause-review/#sthash.zpbYXCyX.dpuf

In Freedom’s Cause, written by George Alfred Henty (G.A.Henty 1832-1902). Listeners will travel through time with young Archie Forbes as he becomes involved with Scotland’s most influential freedom fighters William Wallace and Robert the Bruce.
In Freedom’s Cause a beautiful 2 CD set with an insert filled with ideas and a copy of the prayer by William Wallace.  A theatrical performance by Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abby as Anna), Billy Boyd (Lord of the Rings, Master and Commander), Skandar Keynes, (Chronicles of Narnia), Cathy Sara (Woman in Black, Topsy-Turvy), and James Cosmo (Highlander and Braveheart).  Your child will join with the faith and vision of William Wallace to join with farmers, shepherds and merchants to defeat a mighty army. You’ll learn about the faith of William Wallace, his courage and strength of character. Walk along side them as they forever change the history of Scotland.  King Robert the Bruce was inspired to eventually gain Scotland’s freedom. Learn the real history of the faith Wallace had in God.  Included in the CD is Psalms 23. Wallace, at his execution, read these words as King Edward’s men tortured him. Let your children learn that freedom is worth fighting for.
- See more at: http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/in-freedoms-cause-review/#sthash.zpbYXCyX.dpuf

Listeners will travel through time with young Archie Forbes as he becomes involved with Scotland’s most influential freedom fighters William Wallace and Robert the Bruce.
In Freedom’s Cause a beautiful 2 CD set with an insert filled with ideas and a copy of the prayer by William Wallace.  A theatrical performance by Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abby as Anna), Billy Boyd (Lord of the Rings, Master and Commander), Skandar Keynes, (Chronicles of Narnia), Cathy Sara (Woman in Black, Topsy-Turvy), and James Cosmo (Highlander and Braveheart).  Your child will join with the faith and vision of William Wallace to join with farmers, shepherds and merchants to defeat a mighty army. You’ll learn about the faith of William Wallace, his courage and strength of character. Walk along side them as they forever change the history of Scotland.  King Robert the Bruce was inspired to eventually gain Scotland’s freedom. Learn the real history of the faith Wallace had in God.  Included in the CD is Psalms 23. Wallace, at his execution, read these words as King Edward’s men tortured him. Let your children learn that freedom is worth fighting for.
Two hours of Non Stop Adventure for ages 6-Adult “Building the next generation by brining the lessons of history to life” through Listening captivating the imagination. Time Travel into fun and exciting adventures. Teach strong moral values like courage, conviction an Character. 48 page Study Guide included to help parents engage with their children.
- See more at: http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/in-freedoms-cause-review/#sthash.zpbYXCyX.dpuf

So how did our family actually USE these audio theater CD's? We are an above average sized family and I found it hard for everyone to hear audio when played through our laptop speakers. So we played the production through our Xbox system. My husband has the Xbox hooked up to our surround sound speakers in the living room. This made it possible for us all to be able to snuggle into our couches or chairs and listen in comfort to the production. We also are very often out and about in the van and I am always looking for ways to make that time more productive. We were able to play the CD's in the van quite easily, this made the trips more entertaining for everyone involved.

 We loved this program and are looking forward to Heirloom Audio's next production, With Lee in Virginia. You can find more information about this new production on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

 
 

 

Interested to hear what the other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew thought of In Freedom's Cause? You can click here or on the banner below to find out!