Festival Director Samir Savant unveils exciting online plans for the Handel Festival, and invites you to watch and participate - all you...
Do you love to sing? Award-winning composer and conductor, Esmeralda Conde Ruiz is working with The Old Church in Stoke Newington, London to create a unique live performance.
The project brings together the memories of grandmothers of all ages from around the world and puts them to music. The thoughts of different generations are captured through music, singing, memories, experiences and light, and transformed into song. The piece will be sung by a massed choir of female singers on 11 May 2019 in The Old Church cemetery and will combine the stories of women with stories from previous performances of the project. The performance of the piece will be illuminated by artist Olafur Eliasson’s Little Sun solar powered lights. The Little Sun project provides affordable solar powered lighting to support social and economic development around the world.
Esmeralda Conde Ruiz says:
This is the continuation of a project that started 2015 in Florida and I want to capture as many different voices of generations of women through music. It will be really exciting to experiment with how memories, music and light will interact in the piece. I would love for as many women to come and join our solar powered choir.
How it works
Through a series of workshop sessions with conductor and composer Esmeralda Conde Ruiz, singers will learn about singing in a choir and develop vocal technique while working towards their site-specific performance at The Old Church cemetery. The structure of the rehearsals will be designed to best support singers, starting from the basics of classical choral technique, developing as a team in a supportive and friendly environment. Singers do not need to be able to read music to be part of the performance, but they should have a good musical ear. Singers will be taught the music as suits the needs of the group (both learning the music by ear and using scores), and will be provided with audio tools to practice their part at home.
Who can take part?
The project is open to all singers of all abilities and people who have:
- a love of singing
- enthusiasm and willingness to learn and develop in a choral setting, as part of a team
- commitment to take part in all sessions and learn the piece
The project especially encourages those with little or no experience of singing in a group to apply. You might not have sung in a choir before or not for some time, or perhaps you enjoy singing in a community or church group that doesn’t require you to read music.
Dates
Workshop sessions will be scheduled twice a month (on Tuesday evenings) between January and the performance, with some flexibility if needed around June exam time.
You must also be able to attend the following dates:
9 September 2018 - workshop and introduction 12-2pm
Rehearsal phase 1
11 and 18 September - rehearsal at The Old Church 18:30-21pm
9 and 30 October - rehearsal at The Old Church 18:30-21pm
6 and 27 November - rehearsal at The Old Church 18:30-21pm
18 December - rehearsal at The Old Church 18:30-21pm
Rehearsal phase 2
January to April regular rehearsals twice a month on Tuesday evenings
11 May 2019 performance (dress rehearsal same week)
How to apply
Please fill in the application form by Friday 7 September. Applicants will be invited to a free workshop on Sunday 9 September 2018. The workshop will offer you the chance to meet the team and each other, and have a go at singing as a group in a fun, informal and friendly setting.
If you have any questions or would like any more information, please contact Ruth by email.
