Adopt a Music Creator blog: Wild and gentle

Music creator Hannah Fredsgaard-Jones talks about the premiere night of her collaboration with the Voices of Exmoor as part of Adopt a Music Creator 2022.

There was nervousness and excitement in the air as I entered Woolhanger Manor Music Room for Voices of Exmoor’s premiere night. It felt like just yesterday that I drove across the moor for the first time to meet the choir in their Monday rehearsal at Dulverton Town Hall. Since then, the season had changed from early spring to late summer with autumn lurking just around the corner. 

In front of me was a choir, a music director and a pianist who had been working determinedly to present a program of personal choir favourites. Included in that program which counted composers like Eric Whitacre, Joseph Cosma and Andrew Lloyd Webber was, of course, our new Adopt a Music Creator piece 'Over the Moor'.

'Over the Moor' had grown out of a shared creative process fuelled by creativity, curiosity and a desire to create something unique, just like the ever-changing sounds and sights of Exmoor. After months of collaboration, the piece was now complete, rehearsed and ready to be performed.

'It is about movement; a lark flying high in the sky, the sound of the wind in the trees and the rivers running over pebbled stones and shaping the landscape. It is about the urgency in the air as the fox, the hare and the deer prepare for autumn and the first frost biting the moor.'

At the beginning of this musical journey, we were reflecting on Exmoor as a place of both wilderness and gentleness, leading us to ask ourselves if a piece can be both wild and gentle all at once. Accepting the impossibility of encapsulating all of Exmoor in one song, 'Over the Moor' is focused on the dialogue between the softness of soaring birds and blooming hills and the expressive nature of rivers and coastline.

'Over the Moor' is a song about the changing of the seasons, the turning of the leaves, the salmon in the rivers waiting for the right moment before they head for the open sea. It is about movement; a lark flying high in the sky, the sound of the wind in the trees and the rivers running over pebbled stones and shaping the landscape. It is about the urgency in the air as the fox, the hare and the deer prepare for autumn and the first frost biting the moor. It is about the changing of time, about ancient stones and about the here and now as we experience it; as we listen to the sounds around us and see new life preparing to burst through the ground.

As I stepped up from my place in the audience to introduce the song, I held onto a handmade notebook that I had introduced to the choir in our first meeting. The notebook was full of scribbles, poetry and musical ideas. I had meticulously brought it along to every rehearsal and workshop as a way of documenting and honouring the creative process. Before Voices of Exmoor stood up and shared 'Over the Moor' with the audience, it was my greatest pleasure to hand over the notebook to the singers as a testament to a musical journey rich in creativity, dedication and hard work. 

Music creator Hannah Fredsgaard-Jones sporting gifts

After the concert, an audience member shared with me how he had felt compelled to close his eyes during the piece. He felt that the music had invited him on a journey around Exmoor, along the rivers that he knew so well, past the free roaming ponies, onto hidden forest tracks and along rugged coastline. 

As a music creator, I can think of nothing more exciting than seeing music grow from tiny seedlings of ideas into a finished piece of work. It was therefore deeply moving to see the singers’ investment and joy as they performed 'Over the Moor' on the night of the premiere.

It has been a privilege to get to know Voices of Exmoor and experience their passion for singing and their love for Exmoor in the making of this new work. After the concert I overheard audience members express that they were keen to hear the piece again. I will leave that request for Voices of Exmoor to fulfil in future performances... 

Read Hayley's account of the premiere night

Find out more about Voices of Exmoor on their website, and follow Hannah on Facebook / Instagram.

The Adopt a Music Creator project matches vocal and instrumental leisure-time music groups with some of the UK’s most promising music creators to collaborate on creating a new piece of music. The project leads to a premiere performance and possible broadcast. If you’re a music group or music creator and you’d like to take part, find out more.