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Calling 50 community singers ready to explore new edges to your voice, movement and reflections of the last couple of strange years. Experiment in a warm and open environment with making and breaking new rules of composition, creating together vivid vocal material,
layering space with sound, loss with hope. 

On 30 July, Mahogany Opera will run a day of improvised voice work for up to 50 people in the Pianodrome on the site of The Old Royal High School. 

In The Great Learning we will use community singing - weaving words and music with simple movement - to explore our experience of living through the pandemic about how it
made us feel, what questions it raised about how society functions, and what lessons it offers us for a better future.You do not need experience of reading music.

Writer, poet and facilitator Elspeth Murray, choir leader and composer Stephen Deazley and director of opera and theatre Frederic Wake-Walker will lead the event. Mahogany Opera is a leading commissioner and producer of new opera and music theatre, stretching the boundaries of what opera can be and who it is for.

Over 50 years ago, avant-garde English composer Cornelius Cardew created an experimental and politically-engaged choir composition called The Great Learning designed to be performed by people with no or little formal musical training. Cardew’s work uses texts by ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius as provocations for mindful living. This is not about reading sheet music, learning ready-written songs, or standing straight or singing out through a big smile – we’ll be exploring, improvising and playing together. This day marks the beginning of a nationwide participatory project in which we will create a completely new work inspired by Cardew and his original piece in 2023. We hope you can join us!

The plan for the day:

10-12.30 introductory session
12.30 lunch break
13-14.00 lunchtime concert performed by Bell Lungs
14.30-17.00 creative session
17.00 tea break
17.30-18.30 consolidation session
19.00 open sharing

The day is open to anyone over the age of 18. Please let us know if you have any access requirements or if you need support with travel and subsistence. by emailing beth@pianodrome.org.

There will be a wonderful food stall provided by the Cyrenians on-site from 11-17.00

Reserve a free space for morning and afternoon workshops!

Free drop-in for lunchtime concert at 1pm and evening sharing at 7pm, no need to register