send back the echo: exploring marginalised voices through the stories and music of deaf composers

Julian Azkoul and United Strings of Europe make their Southbank debut on 9 May at the Purcell Room with send back the echo, a concert exploring marginalised voices through the stories and music of deaf composers together with Deaf BSL actor Vilma Jackson. The event explores hearing loss and the nature of listening through the lived stories and music of Deaf composers Ludwig van Beethoven and Dame Evelyn Glennie, alongside works by contemporary composers Jasmin Rodgman, Jessie Montgomery and Gareth Farr. 

Vilma Jackson is a Deaf performance artist, actor, filmmaker, and advocate of Mozambican origin based in the United Kingdom  

British-Malaysian Jasmin Rodgman’s send back the echo is the focal point of the evening. Blending musical performance, dramaturgy and modulated sounds of nature, the work draws on Ludwig van Beethoven’s confessions to shed light on issues around disability and social alienation, movingly communicated in BSL by Vilma Jackson. 

Rodgman's piece was originally conceived for the ensemble’s 2020 film of the same name which premiered on BBC Arts and was selected for the London Short Film Festival amongst others. Beethoven’s personal letters and memoirs reveal a human story of intense passion, fear and joy as he reconciled solitude and deafness with a deep love of nature and music, however send back the echo is not an homage to the legend of Beethoven but rather a journey inspired by a deaf musician, which drives the overarching theme of this concert.

Julian Azkoul explains: "We are continually seeking ways to re-imagine string playing and the concert experience. Our interdisciplinary projects challenge us to stretch our thinking and to find new ways to engage and enthral. Every performance we give is a chance to tell a story, an opportunity to re-examine the familiar and discover something new. We invite you on a moving journey rooted in meaningful lived experiences, engaging with voices and perspectives too often overlooked."

The entire concert and spoken introductions will be signed in British Sign Language through the work of interpreters Kathryn Green and Hannah Marsden. There will be a pre-concert workshop at 6:30 PM open to ticket holders led by Deaf musician Ruth Montgomery of the charity Audiovisability introducing the evening’s programme and performers.

Further details from the Southbank Centre's website.