Songs of Hope

Event Details
Cast & Crew

Throughout the Festival &

17:00-18:15, Tuesday 29th August 2023

The Cockpit

Music: Laura Reid

Words: Ahed Al Hamwi, Katie Colombus, Oge Nwosu, Teresa Howard

A song cycle of hope located within a field recorded and sonically manipulated soundscape, including words, songs and music.

Contemporary writers have responded to the poem “Hope is the thing with Feathers” by Emily Dickinson. Laura has set the words for voices, piano, instruments and pre-recorded sounds. These musical echoes are presented in an audio walk. Free to access by mobile phone and headphones in specific locations using GPS location software echoes.xyz (software to be downloaded in advance).

Laura will be presenting this as a guided ticketed walk on the launch day, 5.00pm 29th August. Meeting outside entrance to Cockpit Theatre, Gateforth Street, the walk will take around 75 minutes. It will be available to access via mobile devices for the duration of the festival.

Featuring soprano Gweneth Ann Rand and piano by Allyson Devenish.

Laura is generously supported by PRS Foundation Composers’ fund. Responses to the poem range from the personification of Hope by Ahed Al Hamwi, optimistic reflections recalling images of nature by Teresa Howard and Katie Colombus, to stark realities of sustaining hope in challenging circumstances by Oge Nwosu. Each one has a unique perspective.

You can download a programme for Songs of Hope here.

Instructions for ticket holders of Tuesday 29th August 5pm event accompanied by composer Laura Reid can be downloaded here.

Age Rating: All ages, but mostly adults.

Content Advisory: to see content advisories for Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival 2023 shows, click here.

Produced by Laura Reid

Venue: The Cockpit, Gateforth Street, London NW8 8EH.