Located in the UK
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- Cheryl Frances-Hoad
Even You Song (2016)
- Cadenza Music (World)
- org
- TrATB, Children's Choir
- 1 hr
Programme Note
Devised by Bettina Furnée and Lucy Sheerman, 'Even You Song' is an artwork inspired by the structure and themes of Evensong, a service that goes back to the earliest days of the Church. The piece celebrates that tradition and the return of the organ to Peterborough Cathedral, retuned to concert pitch, in 2017.
The project was influenced by the cathedral’s invocation of a heavenly sphere through its soaring pillars, its beautiful otherworldly evensong service and the sheer force and power of the organ which figures as a kind of ‘lift off’. It also invites the city into the Cathedral with sections written for community choir. The words of the libretto were taken from interviews with twelve Peterborough couples asked whether they could travel on an extended trip to the Moon together. Their answers have been reworked into a libretto that echoes and responds to the Evensong words. The Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis texts have been retained intact in order to ensure that their settings, along with the Anthem where suitable, will be absorbed into the Church repertoire. Cheryl Frances-Hoad integrated these diverse elements into her composition for Choir and Organ.
The premiere of Even You Song, directed by Director of Music Steven Grahl, and performed by Cathedral and Community Choirs took place at Peterborough Cathedral on 16 February 2017. The full production incorporated digital projections and a printed libretto.
Generously supported by:
Ambache Charitable Trust, Arts Council England, Metal Peterborough, Peterborough Cathedral, Peterborough Presents, RVW Trust, The Seedbed Trust.
The project was influenced by the cathedral’s invocation of a heavenly sphere through its soaring pillars, its beautiful otherworldly evensong service and the sheer force and power of the organ which figures as a kind of ‘lift off’. It also invites the city into the Cathedral with sections written for community choir. The words of the libretto were taken from interviews with twelve Peterborough couples asked whether they could travel on an extended trip to the Moon together. Their answers have been reworked into a libretto that echoes and responds to the Evensong words. The Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis texts have been retained intact in order to ensure that their settings, along with the Anthem where suitable, will be absorbed into the Church repertoire. Cheryl Frances-Hoad integrated these diverse elements into her composition for Choir and Organ.
The premiere of Even You Song, directed by Director of Music Steven Grahl, and performed by Cathedral and Community Choirs took place at Peterborough Cathedral on 16 February 2017. The full production incorporated digital projections and a printed libretto.
Generously supported by:
Ambache Charitable Trust, Arts Council England, Metal Peterborough, Peterborough Cathedral, Peterborough Presents, RVW Trust, The Seedbed Trust.