LUCY PANKHURST
COMPOSER
VOICES FROM NO MAN'S LAND...
On Friday 23rd May, the 2014 Ageas Salisbury International Arts Festival opened with a new electro acoustic/vocal project to commemorate the Christmas Truce of 1914. Lucy worked with the festival team, 100 male vocal 'recruits' and Artistic Director, Howard Moody to create a unique project. Presented in the cloisters of Salisbury Cathedral, 'Voices From No Man's Land' was an immersive sound installation, where the stories, songs and sounds are ever-changing - seeing the events from many perspectives; both spatially and narratively.
In January 2015, 'Voices (in memoriam) was premiered at the RNCM Festival of Brass by the Band of the Kings Division. The piece uses fragments from the original soundtrack and selected songs to create a reflective work for brass band.
The 'Voices From No Man's Land' songbook features all of the original songs used in the performance, including rounds, call and response, trench calls, hymns, morale songs and narrations. The text attempts to capture the experiences of the soldiers and so, features text in English, French, German, Dutch and Russian.
(Westfield Primary School pupils (Runcorn) performing 'Christmas Football' as part of their Wider Opportunities Whole Class Brass Prorgamme of study)
