Jane Stanley's Composeher work, 14 Weeks, has been nominated for an Ivors Classical Award for Best Community and Participation Composition. The work, which sets a text of the same name by Australian poet, Judith Bishop, reflects upon the experience of the early stages of pregnancy, written from the point [...]
Jamie Sansbury, Musical Director of the GSA Choir, reflects on the journey since the Composeher world premiere concert last May. I am writing this just after the GSA Choir finished recording the last of seven new works composed for us as part of Composeher, a few days before International Women’s [...]
The GSA Choir’s Composeher project has won the Making Music Award 2023 for the Best Project With A Focus On New Music. The influential Making Music Awards celebrate music creators, arrangers and innovative new music projects. The winners were announced on 5 October at a special ceremony hosted by [...]
Maggie Broadley, who sings soprano in the GSA Choir, reflects upon the Composeher world premiere concert. The sound of 96 singers rising en masse, opening their choir folders simultaneously as 'the Maestro' gives the sign...and so, it began. A controlled intake of breath, preparing for that first note in advance, [...]
Just days after the successful Composeher world premiere concert, the GSA Choir has announced that it will be recording all seven pieces later this year. The news will extend the reach of the project, raise the profile of the work and enable other choirs to consider programming these wonderful [...]
Lesley Thomson, who sings alto in the GSA Choir, looks forward to tomorrow's Composeher world premiere concert. Composeher, for me, is what I imagine it's like to train for your first marathon. You start with the vision of completing the 26.2 mile course and anticipate the excitement of crossing [...]
Fiona MacNeill, who sings alto in the GSA Choir, writes about her experience of rehearsing Angel of the Battlefield – composed by Cecilia McDowall, with lyrics by Clara Barton and Seán Street. In my professional role I help individuals and teams make sense of complex working environments, to identify patterns, [...]
Abby Carter, who sings soprano in the GSA Choir, writes about her experience of rehearsing 14 Weeks – composed by Jane Stanley, with lyrics by Judith Bishop. Each of the pieces written for Composeher ask something of us that develops and expands both our abilities as a choir and [...]
Fraser Dalziel, who sings bass in the GSA Choir, writes about his experience of rehearsing Papilionum – composed by Sarah Rimkus, with lyrics by Maria Sibylla Merian. My journey learning music and performing started when I was lucky to have the opportunity to play cornet at school, joined a [...]
Light and darkness... In this video blog composer, Pippa Murphy, and lyricist, Karine Polwart, discuss the traditions and rituals associated with Brigid / Saint Brigid that they have incorporated within the lyrics and music of their new work for Composeher, Brìdghe.