THIS weekend hundreds
of people will take to the stage to perform in a festival which is
all about celebrating the human voice and communal singing.
Chorus Festival,
curated and organised by Southbank Centre, will feature 40 choirs
from across the country who will perform a range of musical styles
across four stages, in a series of free concerts.
As well as being able
to sit back and listen to some amazing music, there will also be a
chance to take part in a range of interactive workshops and free
events aimed at encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to
join together in a big sing.
The highlight will be
Choirs Remixed, a show featuring a whole host of alternative choirs
on the Royal Festival Hall stage.
It will be an
opportunity to hear innovative arrangements incorporating musical
styles as diverse as rock, pop, jazz, gospel and beatboxing as well
as hear new pieces created especially for the show.
Headlining it will be
Andreya Triana, a London born singer-songwriter who will be
performing songs from her album Giants alongside the hundreds of
singers from the different choirs which include Some Voices, London
Contemporary Voices and The Mike King Collective.
Also performing is new
50-strong all-male choir Beyond the Bassline, formed by the show's
host, beatboxer Shlomo, and Southbank Centre’s own Voicelab.
Not only has the world
record breaking beatboxer, composer and world looping champion helped
form the group, he's also composed a piece of music especially for
them which will get its premiere on the night, something he says he’s
extremely excited about.
“I’m honoured to
have been asked to be involved and am super excited about having one
of my pieces performed in it," he tells me.
“I’ve only been
composing work for other people for about four or five years now and
I get a real buzz out of it.
“Beyond The Bassline
is an amazing mix of people – all aged from about 18 and up and
from all walks of life, different backgrounds and experiences.
“What’s great about
it is that it’s a very inclusive project. Some of them have never
sung before. I held an open call out for people to come along, there
was no audition, I just wanted to get as many as possible who wanted
to take part.
“It’s awesome as
they are all there to celebrate music and the human voice."
He admits it’s been a
bit of a learning curve for him not least teaching them how to
beatbox but he says he’s really proud of their achievements after
only a few weeks of rehearsals. And he’s confident they will nail
it on the night.
“The first time we
all met a few weeks ago I told them to just act like kids and make a
load of sounds and they really went for it,” he laughs.
“It was absolutely
fantastic to see them running around and making all these noises.
“When I composed the
song I had to keep it simple so they could learn it by ear but I’ve
pushed them out of their comfort zone.
“I was really nervous
as I didn’t know if they would like it but they just ran with it
and the energy was amazing – I was flying!"
So can anyone beatbox I
ask?
“It’s something
that anyone can do but you have to do your homework,” he says.
“It’s got that joyous thing that you don’t have to buy
expensive equipment to do it. It’s democratic in the same way that
dance is. Everyone can learn.”
Shlomo has been
beatboxing since he “was a kid” and practising rhythms with his
drum kit. He admits he has always been “obsessed” with music,
perhaps not surprisingly given that his father was a jazz musician.
He grew up listening to
Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder before turning to jazz and latterly
electronic music.
When he was 18 he began
touring with the award winning hip hop group Foreign Beggars before
finding himself collaborating with Bjork on her vocal album Medulla.
It was, he says, a
“life changer”.
“At the time I was
doing stuff as a way to show off but she saw it as a raw musical
composition. It inspired me to think about my music more seriously,”
he says.
Since then he has
worked with some “brilliant” people including Imogen Heap,
Rudimental, Lily Allen and Ed Sheeran, written the score for the
BFI’s restoration for Alfred Hitchcock’s Downhill, as well as a
specially commissioned piece for the Royal Festival Hall’s restored
organ.
And as well as working
on these and other projects he has his own band, is preparing for a
stint at Udderbelly’s purple cow this summer as well as a solo
show, New Rules, not to mention composing material for a new album
due out next year.
But for now his focus
is on the Chorus Festival and getting his choir ready for their debut
performance.
And he says that being
at the Royal Festival Hall, a venue he’s performed at many times,
is still a thrill. Indeed, he has a long association with the
Southbank Centre, not least being made artist in residence in 2007, a
title he still has.
“It’s been an
absolutely joyous relationship which gives endless challenges and
possibilities,” he says warmly. “It’s the most magical place, a
real creative hub that I love being part of.
“This festival is
particularly special. It's a celebration of the human voice and you
don’t get many opportunities to hear something like that so it's
going to be a fantastic weekend.
“Andreya is amazing
with a very soulful and beautiful sound. But with all the choirs
there it will be a pretty magical experience and I’m super proud to
have created something with this amazing group of people. I hope they
will be inspired to do more and keep singing.”
Chorus Festival is on
at the Southbank Centre from Friday, March 18 until Sunday, March 20. Visit
www.southbankcentre.co.uk for full listings.
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