Trench Symphony

On Wednesday 14th November 2018 at Wakefield Cathedral, I premiered my new song cycle created using text, and testimony from and relating to WW1. The piece was written in 3 parts, Rally - Reality - Reflection, and featured professional musicians performing alongside a community choir. I conducted the performance, including leading the community choir in an improvised section as part of 'Reality'. 

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The piece includes a section scored graphically, using a combination of aleatory text, imagery and conducting styles to depict the battlefield within the cycle. It also includes a soundscape with samples of a trench organ used during WW1.

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The project was part funded by Arts Council England alongside a partnership project with Edgelands Arts, funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund. As part of the project I delivered sessions with young people exploring music in WW1 and worked with volunteers to research the source material for the piece. You can find out more about the heritage uncovered during the project at www.trenchsymphonyarchive.co.uk and you can hear elements of the live performance on this page.