Lachrymose: A choral salute to those lost at sea

2 September 2013

Press release Lachrymose: A choral salute to those lost at sea This autumn Turner Contemporary presents an extraordinary programme of contemporary musical activities which culminates in the musical performance Lachrymose, a choral response to the conflicting emotional landscape of remembrance which commemorates the 2014 centenary of the beginning of the First World War. With a particular focus on the WW1 roll-call associated with the Margate War Memorial at Trinity Hill, local singers unite at Turner Contemporary in a series of interdisciplinary workshops and music-making activities concluding in a community musical co-production. The performance has been developed by Producer Tania Holland-Williams and will see both musicians and non-musicians coming together to create, perform and experience music in new and unusual ways. Central to the musical programme is the development of a new work Lachrymose led by composer Jon Hering. This new and unaccompanied choral work brings together a range of local communities to co-create a vocal response to the conflicting emotional landscape of remembrance. Drawing on folksong and sea shanty for material, the final work sits within the contemporary classical music genre. The programme is open to the public and will offer a series of choral and poetry workshops across November culminating in two performances of Lachrymose at Turner Contemporary on the afternoon of 23 November 2013. Lachrymose was conceived by Tania Holland-Williams. The work is co-commissioned by Tania Holland-Williams and Turner Contemporary and composed by Jon Hering. You can be a part of the commemoration by taking part in workshops, which culminate in performances on Saturday 23 November 2013. Sat 2 Nov - 11am to 5.30pm Sun 10 Nov - 10.30am to 5.30pm Sat 16 Nov - 1.30pm to 6pm Sun 17 Nov - 10.30am to 5.30pm Performance: 23 November 2pm & 3.30pm Participating singers do not need to be able to read music but will need to make a commitment to the project, including attending every rehearsal session and practicing outside rehearsals. To take part in the Lachrymose workshops, please contact Tania Holland-Williams attaniahollandwilliams@gmail.com by Friday 4 October 2013.   Quotes Tania Holland Williams says: “I wanted to produce a piece of work that would provide an opportunity for singers of all shapes and sounds to be intimately involved in the pursuit of something we loosely term contemporary classical music - very much hoping that people would enter into a vocal and creative adventure with us.Lachrymose, with its attendant and varied vocal elements all set within the framework of ensemble choral singing, creates a platform for performers and audience alike through which to begin their journey.” Jon Hering says: “There is something very powerful and honest about music written just for the human voice. There is something equally powerful about a large number of people coming together with a common emotional subject, and working together to explore and express this. I am really interested to discover what can be achieved by this temporary community, and how we will use our shared talents and experiences - in the striking setting of Turner Contemporary.”    Turner Contemporary gratefully acknowledges financial support from PRS for Music Foundation andArts Council England