BBC Singers tenor Stephen Jeffes
Wednesday 19 June. Today, I had the amazing experience of standing outside the BBC Singers and listening to my colleagues record a new work called The Elements that Grace Rossiter and I composed for them. Knowing all the voices individually and in their different sections made this piece a joy to compose but I couldn't prepare myself for what an amazing experience it would be to listen to.
The range of vocal styles and colours that the group can create are vast, and their commitment to the score is phenomenal. The piece is being performed tomorrow at The Roundhouse with Grace conducting. The singers will be joined by 500 children drawn from 26 schools in Harrow, who collaborate with them at various moments in the piece. I can't wait to hear it. The wall of sound might knock me over!
Here is a short description of the work. The Elements is inspired by our everyday surroundings. The earth is the platform on which we live, but how often do we consider its natural splendour? The air around us acts as a fuel on which we must rely, yet we can use it as a power source on which to thrive. Water flows back though history as blood flows through our ancestry. The fire of ideas flicker within us. If we share them with our peers, they will gain momentum and roll like fire as they go free.
Stephen Jeffes will post another Blog looking back on the performance.
