London Southbank Centre
In response to COVID-19, the partner concerts scheduled for April 16 and 18, 2020, have been cancelled. Please refer to the partner’s website for the latest information.
In spring 2020, London’s Southbank Centre joins the All Together project with a 350-person choir performing a new English interpretation of the famous Schiller text as part of “Beyond Beethoven 9” on Thursday, April 16 and Saturday, April 18, 2020. The choir is composed of youth ensembles including Only Boys Aloud, Finchley Children’s Music Group, the Lister Community School, Kaos Signing Choir, and adult groups including the London Philharmonic Choir and The Bach Choir, along with individuals selected through audition. Joining the choir on stage are Southbank Centre’s Associate Orchestra the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and vocal soloists including soprano Nadine Benjamin, mezzo-soprano Catriona Morison, tenor Oliver Johnston, and bass-baritone Simon Shibambu. Also participating are a number of youth groups, including jazz music education and artist development organization, Tomorrow’s Warriors, and music and dance performance group, Kinetika Bloco. In total nearly 500 performers will fill the Royal Festival Hall stage for the event, led by conductor Marin Alsop.
Bill Barclay is directing the Southbank Centre production, working alongside poet Anthony Anaxagorou to create a new poem in response to the original “Ode to Joy” text. Hundreds of poems have been written by young people in workshops led by Mr. Anaxagorou, exploring the theme of joy and what it means to the wider London community, which will be worked into and set to the original Beethoven score and performed in Beyond Beethoven 9. Both performances also include a new film as part of Southbank Centre’s Uncovering Classics series.
Pictured: Marin Alsop conducting Bernstein's Mass at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall in 2018.
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