Voices of our Ancestors - Thea Musgrave premiere

A landmark event is taking place today (Thursday 9 July 2015) at St Bride's Church, Fleet Street. As part of the City of London Festival, JAM is presenting the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge, Onyx Brass, Simon Hogan (Organ) and conductor Nicholas Cleobury in the world premiere of Thea Musgrave's The Voice of our Ancestors. The work is Musgrave's first major work for chorus and ensemble since 1996. Now in her 80's, she was inspired by the chance finding of the Vedic Creation Hymn (circa 1500 BCE) and has written a work which juxtaposes fascinating poems from across the centuries, cultures and the globe. She writes 'After immersing myself in the poetry of other cultures and distant times, I have chosen 11 other poems which astonishingly spoke with great meaning to me today. To dramatize the situations described in the poems, my operatic and story-telling experience gives a theatrical dimension to what is essentially a concert piece.'

Also in the programme is Paul Mealor's Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal and Paul Patterson's The Fifth Continent. Further information from the JAM website