Sing is a community choir in Cambridge, where you don’t need to be able to read music, and everyone is welcome to come along and Sing! There will be the opportunity to come along to come for the first two sessions as taster sessions and see if you would like to join. We particularly need Tenors and Basses, and to join all you need to do is enter your name on the subscription page and you can join the waiting list and receive notice of our sessions:
Watinglist-join@singcommunitychoir.co.uk
After a fun-filled summer term, we will be taking a break this July and reconvening on Thursday 6th September. Here is some important information about the new term:
Thursday evenings at 7.30pm
St Barnabas Church Centre, St Barnabas Road
Come and sing folk, medieval, renaissance and historically-inspired music, celebrating the East of England’s rich artistic heritage. If you are looking to sing songs with a historical DNA and you love to sing– then Timeline Choir is for you!
For more information about joining up for the new term in September, go to
and ask to join a FREE introductory session or contact
Stef = info@timelinesongs.org Mobile: 07843-666-874
You do not need to be able to read music to join, but do expect to be challenged. You will learn new skills and unique music, especially arranged and edited by the choir director, Stef Conner, a Royal Philharmonic Society prize-winning composer! We meet on Thursdays in term –time, 7.30 to 9.15pm in
The Old School Room
St Barnabas Centre
Mill Road
Cambridge
CB1 2BD
SUNDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER
12 noon to 4pm Family-friendly gathering in Petersfield
Join Historyworks and other community organizations and food trucks and our local band, for ‘Party on the Pieces’ at St Matthews Park located between York Street and Sturton Street in Petersfield. Organized by P.A.C.T. (Petersfield Area Community Trust).
Historyworks will bring anew pop-up local history exhibition co-created with placement students from Parkside and Hills Road Sixth Form College, showing newspaper articles about two events during the second world war telling the story of the bombing of Petersfield in 1940. For children, Historyworks will have a table-top craft activity inspired by beasts from the Jurassic Period, Pterosaur-puppets. We may even sing the Michael Rosen “Pterosaur Poo Rap” he composed for our project with Cambridge schools. All materials provided free so children can take their artworks home afterwards! All are welcome!!
To find out more go to the PACT website:
Cambridge City Council’s CHYPPS (Children and Young People’s Participatory Services) are offering their fab set of PLAYDAZE for free all summer 2018. You can go along for fishing lessons, forest fun, days out on the community playboat on the River Cam, and even sign-up for computer coding club! No knowledge or previous skill is required for any of these sessions and you can call to book a place on 01223-457-873.
To find out more and download a full programme of FREE events go to:
BIG WEDNESDAY ON COLDHAM’S COMMON this year will be on Wednesday 15th August from 1pm to 4pm, when Historyworks will join in offering table-top trails and crafts for a treasure trail around the Common with geocaching and more! There will also be historically themed arts and crafts, and lots of popup sports including inflatables, PING table tennis, football zorbing, and Park Tennis.
Mario – can you embed the programme which you’ll find here:
SUNDAY SINGING AT ROMSEY MILL
Please join in Sunday singing on the first and third Sunday every month for a meditative break to join your voice with others! Sessions are at 2pm, organized by Helen and Anna, and to find out more and join the mailing list email to =
Anna says “We often sing Taize music because Taize music was part of my inspiration for starting this group, and the songs are very beautiful. Taize is an ecumenical Christian community in France:
https://www.taize.fr/en_rubrique2603.html Our singing sessions are not particularly religious - we aim to create a space where the songs can bring joy, healing and inspiration - so come for the music, the sense of community or whatever draws you”.
The regular sessions at Romsey Mill will cease for August, but there is likely to be a pop up singing session during the month, so do email to Anna to join the mailing list and then you will be kept in the loop! We anticipate continuing with the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month from September. Hope you're all enjoying the summer, and see you soon!
If you want to get in touch directly, our mailing address is:
Sacrae
Saturday 21st July 12 noon to 5pm in the Castle Hill area of Cambridge
Lots of history talks and walks, archaeology and hidden history to see!
Come and explore one of the oldest and most vibrant areas of Cambridge as venues on Castle Hill open their doors for the day.
Historians, local experts, artist, musicians and dancers will come together to provide a variety of free, drop-in events for all ages. Pack a picnic or visit the pop up food stalls and make a day of it, whatever the weather!
There is lots on at the main venues with making studios in Kettle’s Yard, an exhibition and refreshments and dancing at St Giles’s inside and outside, talks and trails and crafts for families at the Museum of Cambridge, and then up the hill there is are fascinating archaeological pop up tents by the Castle Mound where you can handle Roman objects found on site, visit the archives at Shire Hall, and even go around the hidden nuclear bunker!
Organized by Kettles Yard and partners. To find a map showing the locations and timings of all the activities and an uptodate programme of activities go to:
The wonderful ReSound Choir, led by their Director Rowena Whitehead will be giving two FREE summer performances on Tuesday 17th July & Saturday 21st July. Rowena and singers would love all friends and colleagues and family who are free to attend to come along for
Tuesday 17th July the venue is a singing from punts by the tennis courts at Jesus Green, at 7pm, so if you are there by then, find a spot on the river bank and enjoy the singers and bring a picnic if you wish to! The choir will then punt it’s way along the backs to the Mill Pond, singing as they go. So you could hire a punt too and hear the music from the river all the way there and back, or have the first part of the concert at Jesus Green and the last part in situ!!
Saturday 21st July the venue will be at Castle Street Methodist Church (half-way up Castle Hill north of Magdalene Bridge) where ReSound will give a FREE concert from 1.15pm to 2pm, so just drop in, no tickets needed!
To find out more about this singing event and the collaborative events organized by Kettles Yard and St Giles Church, and the Archaeological services by Castle Mound, the Archives in Shire Hall, the Museum of Cambridge, go to:
http://www.Kettlesyard.co.uk/events/castle-hill-2018
To find out about joining ReSound or attending their next concerts go to their website:
At 8pm on Saturday 12 May at the Unitarian Church Hall 5 Emmanuel Road ~ Cambridge ~ CB1 1JW, Women of Note will present their concert 'Dreaming of a New World'. Tickets are £10, with £5 of this going to the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity. There will be a licensed bar.
Please join the Sing! Community Choir for a marvelous evening of song at St Barnabas Church on Mill Road in aid of Arthur Rank Hospice.
On Sunday 22 April, ReSound will be having a Spring Fling at St Andrews, Cherry Hinton, 4pm to 5.30. Tickets £5 in aid of Romsey Mill. There will be cake! All are welcome to come and listen and join in a dynamic aftternoon of song!
Please join Abbey People and Historyworks and ChYpPS as we come together to mark 'Abbey People Care for Nature Day' on Saturday 21st April between 10am and 1pm. The venue is outdoors on Coldham's Common.
From 11am to 1pm Historyworks will be providing a geocaching trail with history summaries to unique and hidden places around the Abbey area, with a special focus on the old rifle range and the jurassic story of the coprolite deposits on Coldham's Common. There will also be badge-making for children to leave history-themed illustrated badges in the toy boxes, and an opportunity to make Pterosaur puppets and a Pterosaur scavenger trail with toy prizes! Abbey People with provide refreshments of hot dogs and hot chocolate for all participants, and the event will kick off with a litter-pick between 10am and 11am, meet at the gates closest to the Abbey swimming pool, where the craft and history and geocaching activities will be set up!
3.30pm for 4pm - 5pm Etty tea and talk 'in conversation' with Klaas Smelik, Director of the Etty Hillesum Research Centre in Middelburg.
You are warmly invited to a tea and talk 'in conversation' about Etty Hillesum with Professor Klaas Smelik, who edited the Dutch, English, French and Italian unabridged editions of Etty Hillesum’s writings and is editor-in-chief of the Etty Hillesum Studies and the Studia Semitica Neerlandica. Participating 'in conversation' will be Public Historian, Professor Helen Weinstein, the Dean of King's, Stephen Cherry, and musician Jon Banks. We will show unique photographs illustrating Etty’s writings and her life.
Tickets: Places are available via EVENTBRITE, and please book in advance as there are limited seats at the location in King's College (the Chetwynd Room is near King's Chapel so please ask for directions at King's Porter's Lodge). Because the 'in conversation' event is free, participants are welcome to attend for interest even if they are not able to attend the accompanying musical event in the evening.
5.30 - 6.40pm Maundy Thursday Sung Eucharist in King's Chapel All are welcome to attend the special Maundy Thursday service or to take a break from King's to have dinner in town before the evening performance.
Tickets: No tickets are needed for Evensong which is always free for the congregation, and the King's Chapel staff will direct you to seating on arrival.
8pm/ - 9.15pm King's Chapel "Blazing Harmonies: The Spirit of Etty Hillesum"
This is the premiere of a performance of "Blazing Harmonies: The Spirit of Etty Hillesum" with readings from the diaries of Etty Hillesum selected by Stephen Cherry interspersed with dynamic improvisations from the acclaimed musical group, Zri. Tickets are available on the door or in advance via clicking online at the King's College Events page.
Tickets £12.50, £5 students (concessions available) via:
King’s College Visitor Centre | 01223 769340 | shop@kings.cam.ac.uk
See: http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/events/calendar.html for further details
These events have been organized and hosted by the Dean of King's College Cambridge, Dr Stephen Cherry.
Date: 7 March 2018
Doors: 7pm Concert: 7.30pm
Venue: St Barnabas Church, Mill Road, Cambridge CB1 2BD
Tickets: £10
Booking Information: Book via EVENTBRITE
This event will be an uplifting concert of poems and songs about the ‘Power of Words’, including some new poems and vocal arrangements, especially commissioned by Historyworks for marking Holocaust Memorial Day 2018 on themes around kindness, migration, racism, refugees.
The poetry written and performed by Michael Rosen describes gaps in his life, about Jewish members of his family who were missing during the Second World War, and how it was for Michael to find out decades later what had happened to them and to recall them through words means that their memory has not been erased from history. His poems also challenge racism and prejudice against migrants and refugees today.
ReSound Acappella Choir will share their favourite songs of hope, solidarity, celebration and connection, drawn from different cultural traditions, all sung in glorious resonant harmony led by Rowena Whitehead.
For more information visit: https://resoundcambridge.wordpress.com/
Event on Facebook at CamCRAG's page: https://www.facebook.com/events/193653941386461/
This event will be a fundraiser in aid of CamCRAG (Cambridge Convoy Refugee Action Group), a registered charity that sends regular convoys of volunteers with donations of clothing and other items to help refugees in Northern France and elsewhere. CamCRAG will have an information stall.
Hot Snacks and Drinks from 7pm including traditional Andean savoury empanadas (both veggie and meat) from the Vargas Brothers, and an Interval ‘Bring & Share’ cookies and cake table - chocolate cakes welcome! There will also be a fundraiser book stall for those purchasing books for Michael Rosen to sign. https://camcrag.org.uk/
"We are a group of volunteers who live in and around Cambridge who work to help the refugees in Northern France and elsewhere in Europe. As well as sending regular convoys of aid and volunteers to the warehouse in Calais run by Help Refugees, we also organise donation collections, fundraising events and seek to raise awareness of the refugee crisis.
All the money we raise goes towards providing aid or supporting our convoys: We have no employees, and are entirely run by volunteers.
Which means we always welcome some help, whether it’s joining us on a convoy to Calais, donating money, or giving your time in Cambridge."
If you cannot attend the event and would still like to make a donation to this great cause please do so at https://mydonate.bt.com/charities/camcrag
To find out more about the projects run by Historyworks in collaboration with Michael Rosen please find more information on our website about Creating My Cambridge: http://www.creatingmycambridge.com/events
'Please use our flyers to circulate on social media, and please invite friends and colleagues directly to these events using our poster which you can download below'
Railway Singers Concert at Mill Road Winter Fair
Sat 2nd December: Concert 11am to 12 noon (rehearsal 10am to 10.45am)
St Philip’s Church at 185 Mill Road CB1 3AN
Join us as for a free participatory concert where we showcase the pieces commissioned for the project as part of Mill Road Winter Fair to celebrate this unique Railway History!
There will be gospel and soul numbers, folk songs and much more!
The concert is designed to be very participatory, with the words up on the big screens, so it will be easy for the audience to add their voices too. We will NOT be parading afterwards to the corner of Cavendish Road because the new sculpture will now be unveiled in the Spring rather than on the day of the Winter Fair, so we will save this treat for 2018 to sing at the Romsey R!!
Historyworks invites YOU to join in our FREE community singing sessions for'The Railway Singers' when we have two Sunday afternoons in November when we will be offering FREE workshops for people to join us to learn the railway songs and actions. You don't need to consider yourself a singer to join in!!
We especially encourage families to come along, and the primary children have already learnt many of the songs and actions, and they can therefore help the adults learn too! Do come along:
Sunday 19th November 2pm to 4pm at St Philip's Church at 185 Mill Road
Sunday 26th November 2pm to 4pm at Radegund Hall, Coleridge Community College, Radegund Road
Helen Weinstein will show pictures of the Mill Road area and link the history to the railway song lyrics, and we have a fantastic team of teachers: Mario Satchwell, Bethany Kirby, Tizzy Faller, Rebecca Powell for singing and actions.
They will teach us the rounds and folk tunes and gospel numbers, and all the words will be up on big screens to make it easy to join in! Children from the local primary schools have already learnt most of the songs and we hope that they will join us with their families in big numbers on the Sunday afternoons, which will also help the children to rehearse and to remember all the actions and learn some new ones in readiness for us to all perform together at St Philip's Church for the Concert at the Mill Road Winter Fair on the morning of Saturday 2nd December!
Big treats for the primary school singers have been the workshops and singing assemblies in schools when we have had our new songs written especially to celebrate our Victorian railway history, by the famous wordsmiths, the poet Michael Rosen, and the CBBC's Horrible Histories songwriter Dave Cohen. The favourite new songs which the primary children are learning, are the musical arrangements of 'Hand on the Bridge' and 'Cambridge Railway Excursions' by Michael Rosen. And they are ecstatic about the action song written about the Mill Road Railway Workers, composed by Dave Cohen with the choreography by Rebecca Powell, of Stagecoach School in Cambridge!
Note, on the date of the Mill Road Winter Fair we will be INSIDE at St Philip's Church, which has plenty of space for families, where we will be rehearsing at 10am to 10.45am and then will have a refreshment break before we perform at 11am to 12 noon. The concert is designed to be very participatory, with the words up on the big screens, so it will be easy for the audience to add their voices too. We will NOT be parading afterwards to the corner of Cavendish Road because the new sculpture will now be unveiled in the Spring rather than on the day of the Winter Fair, so we will save this treat for 2018 to sing at the Romsey R!!
Hello Sing!ers!
St Philip’s School Hall, 2 Vinery Way, CB1 3DR
Thurs 12th October: 7.30-9pm & Thursday 19th October 7.30-9pm
Come and learn some more of our Railway-themed Songs and partake in two movement sessions to help us animate our songs led by Musical Director, Mario Satchwell, and local Stagecoach Performing Arts Instructor, Rebecca Powell.
There are a number of dates over the next few weeks and months, in the run up to our performance at Mill Road Winter Fair on December 2nd and we would love as many of the local community to get involved. Sunday afternoon sessions are tailored for those who can’t make Thursday nights, and designed so families of all ages can join us!!
For further details visit our project page for Rhythm, Rhymes & Railways and for song samples visit our SONG PAGE
Fom Rowena Whitehead, Musical Director. For ticket reservations, contact janet.walker3@googlemail.com
'Here's a great night of singing coming up on 28 October !
Hope you can join us for a great evening of acappella song.
The income raised will go to The Seed Project in Zimbabwe, a small charity run by people based in Cambridge which is doing fine work to support families to develop income generating projects in rural communities.
There will be our usual mix of ReSounding heart-warming richly harmonious songs and lots from Africa with plenty of join-in opportunities.
The concert at St Paul's starts at 7.30pm and DOORS OPEN AT 7pm
Advanced booking recommended
As someone recently wrote to me: ' This singing is community glue in these turbulent times!
PS Are you interested in more monthly-ish Friday night Unity Choir sessions?
If so, email talkingintune@ntlworld.com
with the TITLE Unity Choir YES!!! Absolutely fine if not, and you are too busy or whatever.....
Then I will get my act together and organise some!
Songs, poems, readings on the theme of travel and migration.
Free entry. But a bucket collection for Médecins Sans Frontières and Cambridge Women’s Aid.
[An early start so you can go on to the Talking in Tune workshop with Bruce Knight at Castle Street Methodist Church]
Workshop in Cambridge on Saturday 14th October 2017 from 1.45pm to 6pm
Bruce Knight for A Capella Workshop
Note from Sylvia and the T n T team:
We are inviting you to join us for a series of FREE railway-themed singing and movement sessions, starting next week on Thursday 21st September!
DROP IN FOR ONE SESSION, FOR A FEW SESSIONS, OR FOR ALL!
To celebrate our voices and our community Helen Weinstein and the team sourcing the stories and songs at Historyworks, (Mario Satchwell and Tizzy Faller, Bethany Kirby and Jon Calver), invite everyone to help us mark the contribution of the Railways coming to Cambridge in 1845, a transformative historical moment which saw opportunities for travels, cultures, connections! Many of the songs are inspired by local history research and have details taken from the fantastic Mill Road History Society’s “Capturing Cambridge” reports!
LYRICS AND SONGS – COMMISSIONED FOR THE PROJECT
Lyrics inspired by Cambridge’s past have been specially composed by the poet Michael Rosen and CBBC’s Horrible-Histories songwriter, Dave Cohen. The lyrics have been arranged for our ‘Railway Singers’ by the Music Director, Mario Satchwell, and by the Music Arranger for the project, Bethany Kirby. Movement sessions will be led by Rebecca Powell with support from Angharad Walter, Performing Art Instructors at Cambridge Stagecoach.
STARTS ON THURSDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER WITH SINGING & A SOCIAL
The first session starts next Thursday (21st September) from 7.30pm to 8.30pm at St Philip’s Church Centre, 185 Mill Road, CB1 3AN; and afterwards there will be a socialfrom 8.30pm-9.30pm or so when we will walk around the corner to view the art studio of Harry Gray, the sculptor of the ‘Romsey R’ where Historyworks will provide free refreshments for the social, including beer from the local Calverley’s Brewery, apple juices from the Cambridge Organic Food Company, cakes from Fen Ditton, crisps from Corkers of Ely!
SESSIONS ARE FREE! YOU ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND ONE OR ALL!!
There will be gospel and soul numbers, folk songs and much more!! The Railway Singers will meet this Autumn and perform at the Mill Road Winter Fair from 11am to 12 noon on Saturday 2nd December, starting with a concert in St Philip’s Church and if weather permits, parading four blocks to sing by the railway-inspired sculpture of the ‘Romsey R’ when it is unveiled by the artists, Harry Gray and Will Hill on the corner of Mill Road and Cavendish Road!
Shout Aloud is a vibrant community choir for children. We're always open to new members, and Musical Director, Mario Satchwell, is doing taster sessions in the area to introduce the choir to as many children as possible. If you would like him to visit your school, please visit the website shoutaloud.org.uk or contact mario at mariodoesmusic@gmail.com
Rehearsals every Wednesday in term time, 3.30-5.30pm (snacks and games available from 3.30) at St Philip's Church Centre, Mill Road (corner of Thoday St), Cambridge, CB1 3AN
ADDENBROOKE'S CHOIR...... No experience needed
Rehearsals: Addenbrooke's Choir meets on a Monday evening at the Alice Fisher lecture theatre on the hospital site, from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. The first rehearsal is on Monday 18th September with the last rehearsal of term on 11th December (no rehearsal half term on 23rd October)
Benefits of singing in a choir: There is a growing body of evidence from the past decade or so demonstrating the psychological, physical and physiological benefits of singing in a choir. These include improved well-being, lowering stress and blood pressure levels, developing listening & communication skills and building confidence. Did you know that the movement & breathing involved in singing with other people leads to synchronicity of heartbeat, muscular movement and neural activity?
Addenbrookes Choir is an a cappella choir that runs along ‘Natural Voice’ lines. Some additional benefits of this are that it is accessible to all, whether or not they can read music, as everything is taught ‘by ear’. This develops listening, expressive & memorising skills, develops confidence in pitching, tuning and harmonizing as well as focusing on the body as the instrument.
Interested in singing in one of Great St Mary's Choirs?
Please read the information below to find out about opportunities for singers aged 6 upwards and to see if your busy lives can include the rehearsal and church calendar:
Entry to the main choirs is normally by short and friendly audition. No audition is needed for our youngest singers to join the Junior Choir. The Director of Music, Sam Hayes, is always keen to hear from keen and committed singers interested in joining our community of music makers here. He can be contacted by email at dom@gsm.cam.ac.uk or telephone at 01223 747276.
For more information visit http://www.gsm.cam.ac.uk/church/choir/
Early Summer ReSound concert in Swaffham Prior in the beautiful St Cyriac's Church on SATURDAY 10 JUNE at 6pm.
COME AND JOIN US FOR A POST-ELECTION -INSPIRATIONAL-CONNECTING-LIFE-AFFIRMING -SPIRIT-BOOSTING EVENING OF SONG AND CONVIVIALITY!
Swaffham Prior is about 20 minutes drive from Cambridge and is lovely in the early summer.......St Cyriac's is a special and resonant space to sing and we are delighted to return after a couple of years ; we have ordered a sunny evening and the plan is to delight you with a repertoire of our favourite richly harmonious and rhythmic acappella inspirational and life affirming songs in the stunning setting of the Church and then you are invited to share some wine and soft drinks, food , hopefully outside in balmy sunshine......you are welcome to bring some food to share ... and there may be some more informal singing.....
Ticket reservations are recommended as there is limited space. You can reserve them by emailing Chris Mulvey chrismul48@yahoo.co.uk as on the flyer attached
There is on street parking and there are car parks nearby.
We advise bringing friends, extra clothes, cushions, rugs and blankets - the church is unheated and can be chilly even on a warm day - and you can sit on them when we picnic
Sue Parlby
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Music fans, give your ears some serious love. On Saturday 8th July we will be gigging a festival of tracks for one night only, in a small and intimate church. If that sounds odd, just trust us - it works. Think Bombay Bicycle Club, Mumford & Sons, Lorde, Sigrid, The National, The Rolling Stones, OK Go, Simian Mobile Disco, Arcade Fire, Everything Everything, Gregory Porter, Vampire Weekend, Bastille, Oh Wonder & Vance Joy, all in one gig. We'll be climbing into, flipping upside down and turning inside out these brilliant tracks in ways that you have never heard before. Come to be surprised, and to start your summer of music off with an explosive night of euphoric sound.
Tickets £14 in advance (£15 cash on the door) available online here / in person at The Apex box office in Bury St Edmunds / over the phone on 01284 758000.
Artwork by our design sponsor, www.richardwolfstrome.com
It's our 5th Anniversary Concert this Summer at St Barnabas Church Saturday, 1st July, starting at 7.30pm!
Come join us for an uplifting evening of song from Sing! Community Choir with a great variety of songs, including musicals, pop, gospel, African and much more!
We can't wait to see you there for our 5th Anniversary Concert this Summer! :-)
Tickets on the door (£7 / £5 concessions). ALL WELCOME! Under 5s Free! :-)
Friday 30 June RESOUND at JUNCTION 2 , the choir will sing a twenty minute set, supporting the AZAADI Freedom TOUR with Samia Malik and Sianed Jones- more info soon, but here are details and booking info on the Junction website. https://www.junction.co.uk/azaadi-freedom
I have worked with Samia and Sianed in the past and their singing and musicianship is wonderful and I'm sure it will be an inspiring evening.
*********Sunday 11 JUNE NO STRINGS ATTACHED, ( Rowena Whitehead, Tom Ling, Wendy Hardemann and Ian Turner ) will be playing music and singing at the HISTON AND IMPINGTON OPEN GARDENS.
Info here: http://hisimp.com/og/ we did it a couple of years ago and it was great fun.
There will be 17 gardens open, some of them serving tea, and we will playing from 2.30-3.15 and 3.30-4.15 in a garden in Cottenham Rd ( I haven't got the number yet; it will be in the programme! ) It's a lovely event and a great afternoon out. The system is you buy a programme ( £5 each) and you can get them from gardens on the day and then can go to as many gardens as you like - and they are lovely. All the income goes to support local charities
If you fancy …
What else do you need to know?
We will have 5 rehearsal sessions on MONDAY evenings 7.45-9.45 pm
Venue: St Martin’s Church, Suez Road CB1 3QD
Dates: March 20, 27, April 3, 24 and May 8
PLUS Saturday 13 May (9.30-5.00) for A Day in May at St Phillips Church, Mill Road CB1 3AN
Reduced rates available on request if the cost would otherwise prevent you from taking part.
Limited tickets (£15) for A Day in May - for those who want to come to the mini-festival on Saturday 13 May, without performing - will be available after 20 March (£15)
To book your place, or to find out more - contact Sue Parlby
Email: sueparlby1@gmail.com Mobile (Text): 07973 860087
Website: good-vibes.org.uk
We look forward to hearing from you and singing with you!
Dear Singers,
Global Harmony Drop in sessions
Ross Street Community Centre, Ross St, off Mill Rd, Cambridge. Thursdays 1.45-3.15pm. Cost £7 per session or £30 for five consecutive sessions. A friendly singing group for people of all levels of experience designed to develop vocal skills and confidence, singing songs from different vocal traditions all learnt by ear. Occasional informal performance opportunities.
Upcoming dates for 2017:
20th April
27th April
18th May
25th May
Then every week until 13th July
This is going to be different. The opening concert of the fabulous e-Luminate Festival will feature Dark Room, a multi-sensory journey through darkness to the light, followed by us - in collaboration with projection artist Jack Beccegato and Carlo Fiorini. We will be a blank visual canvas, for Jack to work his magic on... and it is going to be stunning.
Tickets £20 (inc. booking fee) available online here.
Join Sing! Community Choir for their Christmas Concert: Wonderful Christmas Time on Satursay 17th December, 7.30pm @ St Barnabas Church , Mill Road.
Tickets available on the door: £7/5 concessions (free entry for children under 5).
Supporting The SEED Project: a grassroots charity empowering communities in Zimbabwe to improve their own quality of life (www.seed-project.org)
Friday 16 DECEMBER 8pm onwards @ Cambridge Folk Club
Come and join Rowena Whitehead who is singing with No Strings Attached, with Ian Turner, Wendy Hardeman and Tom Ling at the Cambridge Folk Club, supporting the Magical Christmas Tree Tour , featuring Pete Morton, Emily Sanders, Chris Parkinson and a tree. Should be a fun evening! There will be singing from 8pm ish for a half hour set .Booking strongly recommended . See here for details:
Sat 10th Dec 2016 / Corn Ex / 7.45pmDescribed as Cambridge's answer to Pink Martini, we'll be bringing our genre-bending, hootenanny-styled, cocktail-infused, irreverently-unpredictable and euphoria-inducing Christmas Cocktail gig back to the Cambridge Corn Exchange for the third time.
It'll be everything a Christmas party should be, covering bands including Bjork, Mumford & Sons, Vampire Weekend, Vance Joy, Asgeir, Professor Bobo & Bosko Slim, Basement Jaxx and Paper Aeroplanes... shaken and stirred with some additional Christmas spice and of course The Pogues.
Tickets: £18.50 / £14.50 ( + venue booking fee) with concessions, family & group tickets available.
To book online, follow the link below: www.bit.ly/christmascocktail
SINGING EXTRAVAGANZA ON SATURDAY 10 DECEMBER 19.45PM at Cambridge Corn Exchange
Come and get your festive spirit shaken and stirred by We Are Sound's 120 strong band of vocalists and instrumentalists, reworking downright mischievous music by bands as diverse as Noah and The Whale, Vance Joy, Paloma Faith and The Pussycat Dools.
We invite you to join us in a succulent feast of songs to beat off the winter chills
Rowena Whitehead's ReSound choir are performing on Friday 25 November at St Paul's Church in Cambridge. The Calais Cabaret, raising funds for Cambridge Calais Refugee Action, promises an evening of heart-and-soul warming singing, for a cause which is still very relevant, although the Jungle is being demolished - the need for humanitarian support for the refugees goes on.
Do download the Physical Web app, activate and interact with Cambridge's industrial past and present as you visit this area of Cambridge. For instructions on how to upload the Physical Web app to your device, which is freely available, please use the instructions provided here
.
Activities planned include:
- Junk band making & performing
- “Sweeper” obstacle attraction
- Flying lizard drawing & kite-making
- Close-up magic trick entertainer
- Pop-up tennis & ping pong
- Bicycle skills workshop
- Abbey People activities & Orchard Plant Stall
- Wildlife Walk & Geo Cache Trail
- University Museums Object handling & activities
- Face painting and Under 5’s area
- Craft activities with Community Scrapstore and Amey
- Cambridge Community Circus Workshop
- Family Fun Run
- Cambridge United Sports Zone
For more information please contact us:
Tel: 01223 457873 email chypps@cambridge gov.uk
PLEASE NOTE: This is not a childcare facility. Children are free to come and go as they please. Under 5’s must be accompanied by an adult.
Pop-up Street food area provided by foodPark (cash only)
Making Workshops - Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd August—1pm to 4pm:
Abbey Meadows Community Wing, Galfrid Road, CB5 8ND
Drumming & Kite Flying - Wednesday 3rd August - 1pm to 4pm:
Coldham's Common, Abbey Pool Way end, off Whitehill Road, CB5 8NT
HISTORYWORKS INVITES YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN MAKING MUSIC AND MAGICAL MACHINES
We will be creating a band and amazing flying machines using ‘junk’ recycled from local businesses, such as bits of propeller donated by Marshalls and remodelled by artist, Matt Lane Sanderson.
Would you like to create and play in our junk band? Would you like to build a prehistoric flying lizard or kite to fly on Coldham’s Common?
If the answer is YES and you’re age 8-12 then come join us this Summer holidays forFREE Junk Band and Kite & Flying Lizard Building Workshops organised by Historyworks and hosted by Abbey Meadows Community Wing, Galfrid Road, CB5 8ND. View and Dowload the Sign Up form for children to attend the workshops HERE
You’ll have the chance to make and play a variety of junk percussion instruments, as well as creating kites and flying lizards- it should be lots of fun! J
Junk Band Creating & Playing Workshops led by musicians Mario Satchwell & Tizzy Faller. Kite & Prehistoric Lizard Making by public historian Helen Weinstein & sculptor Matt Lane Sanderson.
The workshops are for children aged 8-12 years old and to take part just sign up on the form below.
Workshops - Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd August—1pm to 4pm:
Abbey Meadows Community Wing, Galfrid Road, CB5 8ND
Drinks and snacks will be provided during the workshop. The Tuesday will finish with a showcase of the magical machine creations and a junk band performance at 4pm at Abbey Meadows. All are welcome to come watch! J
It is important for you to ensure that your parents/carers fill in the application form for the workshops to give permission for you to attend and be filmed, photographed and audio recorded as part of the workshops to be showcased athttp://www.creatingmycambridge.com/.
You are also invited to come perform at the Big Wednesday event on Coldham’s Common as a Junk Percussion Band on Wednesday 3rd August at 4pm, as part of the performance as the finale of the Big Wednesday event outside on Coldham’s Common, and to attend the drumming workshop in the afternoon before-hand.
Drumming & Kite Flying Workshops- Wednesday 3rd August, 1-4pm – Coldham’s Common (Pool End) Pop up Festival with ChYpPS and Abbey People for National Play Day, including completion of the junk band with a drumming workshop for participants from 1.30pm onwards. Final performances at 4pm- All Welcome! J
There are a limited number of places for the workshops, so please fill in your application form below and return it to us at Historyworks or your teacher ASAP (either by hand, post or email- see contact details at bottom of sign up form) to ensure you have reserved your place. We will confirm that children have a place on the workshop by phone/email.
View and Dowload the Sign Up form for children to attend the workshops HERE
Historyworks has been working with several primary schools for creative workshops and has led history field trips encouraging children and their teachers and families to be walking their areas to discover important local history between their school gates and the river and the centre of town. The Michael Rosen event will offer participating Year 5/Year 6 Primary School children and their teachers the opportunity to be inspired by the history beneath their feet through Michael Rosen’s poems about local Cambridge history, including fantastic new poetry commissioned by Historyworks about our River Cam, Isaac Newton & Gravity, the Lions of the Fitzwilliam Museum, and Coldham’s Common & the extraordinary Victorian story of mining Dinosaur Poo!
This Historyworks event will include the children learning more about body percussion to help them with rhythm and rhyme and the new songs about Cambridge local history co-written by CBBC’s Horrible Histories Song Writers and the Historyworks team. Importantly, the children will co-create a poem together with Michael Rosen on the subject of ‘My Cambridge’. Also, children will be given an opportunity on this day and afterwards to record their co-created works. They will showcase their own pieces of poetry and share artwork they have created inspired by the amazing stories of Cambridge’s history and to have feedback from Michael Rosen alongside Helen Weinstein and the Historyworks team.
For more information visit: www.creatingmycambridge.com
To request to be involved in this project contact Helen Weinstein: historyworkstv@gmail.com
For a map of the entrances please visit: www.cus.org/about/where-find-us
Historyworks will be collaborating with other Cambridge partners for the amazing event that is THE BIG LUNCH!! Our contribution will be a muscial entertainment scheduled for 2pm/2.45pm in the Main Event Marquee. This will involve Mario and Tizzy leading participatory singing of the 'My Cambridge' songs which have been collaboratively co-created by Helen Weinstein and Dave Cohen of CBBC's Horrible Histories. Importantly, the singers leading the entertainment will be Abbey Meadows Choir and supporting children from Abbey Meadows Primary. All Welcome!
In addition, Historyworks is teaming up with our colleagues at Cambridge Museum of Technology to offer some interactive thinking and doing activities between 12 and 4pm. These will include kite-making and kite-flying for the children who sing in the entertainment, and history trail and beacon technolgoy for families to learn about how to navigate the history of Abbey ward and the river area using these resources. But also for family interactivity we will have materials to make balloon-powered wagons, pop-bottle rockets, and art materials to represent Coldham's Common and the infamous dinosaur poo!
Saturday 12th March 2016
SINGING HISTORY CONCERT: THE SOUNDS OF STEAM
3pm to 5pm at Great St Mary's Church, Market Place
All Welcome! Free Family Friendly Concert!
Description: Please join us for the finale of the Festival for the “Creating My Cambridge & STEAM Singing History” Concert in the heart of the city. There will be a new piece by Michael Rosen (best loved writer of Children’s books and former Childrens’ Laureate) and a variety of rounds and anthems co-written by Cambridge composers, plus stinky songs by Dave Cohen, chief songwriter for CBBC’s Horrible Histories.
This event is celebrating the local history around Great St Mary's Church and the Market Place and also the STEM history of Cambridge’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths. The pieces will be inspired by past endeavours from the well known to hidden and horrible histories, putting the ARTS into STEM to create a concert of unique performances about Cambridge’s people and places!
Come along at 3pm and join in this family-friendly concert where Historyworks will showcase funny songs and lyrical poems all based on historical sources which will be described in installations during the programme of this astonishing concert of new compositions and performances that will give voice to local musicians and primary school singers. Lyrics will be projected so everyone can join in. All Children must be accompanied by an Adult.
There will be Doing and Thinking Art Activities for families in the Church and also the Churchyard (weather permitting), with sessions on body percussion, illustrating history topics with creative art responses, making 3D models of Great St Mary's and Milestones for important inventions, newspaper engineering, free trips up the Tower for participatants and more! Visitors will be invited to follow a new history trail transmitted by beacons to guide users to unique and fascinating stories around the Market area. Volunteers will be available at Great St Mary's with instructions for how to use the history trail on your smartphone or tablet.
Sunday 21 February | 1pm - 5pm
Cambridge Museum of Technology, CB5 8LD
Join us at the Museum for a taster day of creative thinking and doing activities for children and adults alike. All Welcome!
The family funday will take inspiration from the past, present and future of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths and will include Art workshops to illustrate Cambridge’s history of technology, using Minecraft to recreate historic buildings, pop-up moving-part chimney cards, creative newspaper engineering sessions, balloon-powered cars, robo crocodile coding, and spectacular rocket making and launching!
The future will be represented by the ingenuity of families participating, and supported by volunteers from Cambridge Museum of Technology Makespace and CamCreatives who will share and showcase Robots, Zoetropes, and prototypes for new inventions!
For further information please go to: www.creatingmycambridge.com
CAMBRIDGE HISTORY FESTIVAL 2016
Wednesday 17th February 2016
THE SOUNDS OF STEAM at Cambridge Museum of Technology will be a unique tour of the venue for TWILIGHT AT THE MUSEUMS from 4.30pm to 8.30pm (& Creative Activities 1pm to 4.30pm)
Venue Info: www.museumoftechnology.com
Ticket Info: Free. Drop-in event. All Welcome!
Explore the atmospheric spaces by torchlight and experience the museum spaces with sound tours produced by Historyworks, projected films made by Cambridge artists and co-created with children from local schools, music performances including new songs about the history of the pumping station by CBBC’s Horrible Histories songwriters. Be inspired to try out some hands-on activities. Pop-up foodPark by the Cheddars Lane entrance. Childrens’ portions and prices. Bring your torch, wrap up warmly and wear sensible shoes!
Come along to the launch of a new history tour based around the Victorian pumping station. Do please bring your smartphone to follow the ‘stinking history treasure’ trail. Join in family-friendly activities suitable for children and adults including ‘guerilla’ art activities inspired by the new history trail, body percussion to re-enact sounds found in the museum, singing classes to learn the newly commissioned Horrible Histories style songs about the pumping station, workshops to write your own jokes or poo rhymes, recording sessions to collect and amplify museum sounds! This event is devised and delivered by Historyworks in partnership with Cambridge Museum of Technology.
Wed 27th January | 7.30pm - 9.30pm
St Philip’s Church, 185 Mill Road, CB1 3AN
Join us for a free workshop led by Rowena Whitehead of ‘Talking in Tune’ as we explore the sounds and stories of Cambridge’s Industrial and Social History with Helen Weinstein of Historyworks. ALL WELCOME.
We will be recording the soundscapes we co-create to be used at this year’s “Twilight at the Museums” at the Cambridge Museum of Technology so you can hear the co-produced online at Historyworks or in situ at the CMT event!
Do watch the Cycle of Songs short film - Directed and Produced by Helen Weinstein of Historyworks - it is a fun tour around Cambridge - providing an overview of the nine commisioned songs, the choirs and artists that recorded them, and the route the Tour de France took through the locations in central Cambridge - telling unique stories, written by top composers and poets, performed by people in Cambridge. Enjoy!
Please email your friends the link and share on facebook & other social media - this is a project we are all really proud of to show off Cambridge locations and musical talent and our singing community brought together in Cycle of Songs:
Historyworks invites young people from the Abbey Meadows area to get in touch to be involved in a community arts project funded by Cambridge City Council as a legacy for the Cycle of Songs project. Young people will tell stories documenting their journeys in film and audio and photography taken from their neighbourhoods along their journeys to explore their cultural connectivity in Cambridge. The Art works created will be showcased for communities to 'bump into art' in the street, in schools, in Cambridge's Cultural Venues!
More information is available on the website dedicated to the range of activities given public art funding for Historyworks for co-creating placemaking films and trails, poetry, raps, songs and stories in communities, called "Creating My Cambridge"
If you interested please be in touch with Helen Weinstein and email via: historyworks@gmail.com
Sing & Swim Communal Poolside Singing of Summer Watery Songs!
There will be an evening of swimming, singing and picnicking with local musicians and choirs to which all Cycle of Songs singers, partners, friends, family are invited. This unique musical gathering is organized by Rowena Whitehead to raise funds for the charity called WaterAid. It will be a lovely opportunity to have a reunion for Cycle of Songs participants and partners, friends and families, so do please join us!
Sing & Swim!
Jesus Green Lido – suggested donation £7 /£5 concessions/£3 children;
Primary Choir Singers go FREE!
Chesterton Road, Cambridge, CB4 3BD
Saturday 4th July 6pm to 8.30pm
For further information and to find song sheets go to:
http://talkingintune.co.uk/
Or offers of help for event, please contact Rowena Whitehead at Talking-In-Tune on 01223-573-288 or email on talkingintune@ntlworld.com
Info about the venue/opening times at Jesus Green Swimming Pool:
https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/jesus-green-outdoor-pool
Ocean Song – Sounds of the Sea – led by voice teacher Rowena Whitehead and Dr Roz Wade from the Zoology Museum
Come along and sing in an extraordinary acoustic setting of Cambridge’s Victorian Sewage pumping station by the River Cam. We’ll be singing a sea shanty or two, and singing about WATER, exploring how marine animals produce and perceive sounds, and exploring our own voices and the sounds we make. This is a participatory workshop whose sounds will be recorded to be combined with natural sounds from local waterways, woven together by Chris Watson, the internationally renowned sound artist, renowned for his work on the David Attenborough Life series & Frozen Planet. These recordings will create a unique soundscape to form part of the installation for the foyer to accompany the iconic finback whale in the newly refurbished Museum of Zoology when it reopens for the public in July 2106.
Suitable for 8 years to 108! Young and Young at Heart are Very Welcome!
£3.50 Adult
£2 Concessions
£1.50 Children
Free for children under 7 years
Free for Abbey people on any type of benefit who sign up for Cambridge Museum of Technology’s Barriers to Participation Scheme.
Any mobility issues, please contact the Museum on 01223 500652 to arrange parking space and access to parts of the building.
Women of Note – Summer Concert
Women of Note is a brilliant all female choir, whose track 5 “Unsung Women” on the Cycle of Songs App, has been subsequently performed at the Hebdon Bridge Choir Festival amongst others.
For 19th June Concert, if you’ve not heard them live yet, do go along for their concert of songs on the theme of time, also featuring the Mawson Road Community Orchestra
Friday 19th June 8pm onwards
Centre at St Paul’s, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 1JP
All Welcome!
Open Gardens – Singing outdoors – Sunday 14th June (see poster attached for Histon & Impington Open Gardens – where several gardens will have live music from local musicians.
Rowena Whitehead will be singing with her group, “No Strings Attached: with Ian Turner, Tom Ling, Wendy Hardeman on vocals, violin, guitar and whistle! They will be singing an eclectic mix of well known standards, traditional songs, all sung with rich harmonies, interspersed with beautiful original and Scottish fiddle and guitar tunes – and there will be joining-in singing opportunities!
No Strings Attached will be playing in the Garden of Penny and Vic Todman , 12 College Road Impington from 2.30pm to 3pm and 3.30pm to 4pm - and they would love you to join us in this lovely place with teas in the gardens – and donations for charities!
Admission is with a programme - see the website http://opengardens.org/
£4 in advance for entry to all 16 gardens: 12 noon to 6pm
Sing! Community Choir fundraiser
Moving On Up!
Sing! Community Choir's Summer Concert
St. Philip's Church, 185 Mill Road, CB1 3AN
Friday 12th June
8pm
Come join the members of the vibrant group called “Sing! Community Choir” who performed track 4, “Freedom” on the Cycle of Songs app. If you’ve not heard them live yet, do come along for an evening of joyful singing that will raise the roof!
Raising money for charity- proceeds to Cambridge Music Therapy & to St’ Philip’s Church - suggested donation £5/£3
Revelation-Rock Gospel Choir's Summer Concert
St. Columba's Church, Downing Street, CB2 3EL
Saturday 6th June
7.30pm
Join us for a fabulous, fun-filled evening of songs!
Raising money for St. Columba's Roof Repair- suggested donation £2
Applications welcome for Community Grants
Dowsing for Sound Collective
Do/So/Co Grants available for community music projects, especially for music projects for young people. Deadline for applications is Friday 5th June. Information is on the Dowsing website at:
Special Evensongs at 5.30pm on May 19th & May 21st
King’s College Chapel – May 19th there will be an Evensong with pieces by Michael Berkeley and his father Lennox Berkeley followed the same week in May by a Special Evensong on May 21st with a Sung Requium & the Ceremony of Roses and Lillies. Arrive early at the Chapel to claim a good seat at the Evensong
PIECES FOR THE EVENSONG ON 19 TUESDAY 5.30 p.m:
Introit 72 Laetentur coeli M Berkeley Responses Radcliffe Psalms 96 S Elvey 100 Battishill 101 Nicholson Magnificat and Nunc dimittis Chichester Service L Berkeley Anthem Prayer (Herbert) Weir
Museums At Night – May 15th – Come and explore the wonderful art in a domestic setting at Kettle’s Yard and hear the talented composer of the Cycle of Songs track 9, Alex Cook play the piano and talk about his new compositions
To preview Anka’s Story by composer Alex Cook, go to :
https://twitter.com/kettlesyard/status/599245725831159808/photo/1
Links to soundcloud for preview of Anka’s Story here:
Hollie McNish is the poet whose words formed the basis of track one of Cycle of Songs called “This is why we ride”. Hollie’s tour comes to Cambridge Junction on the evening of 8th May with a very special support act appearance from the writer and performer of track 4 “Freedom” which Inja will perform LIVE at the Junction as part of his set. Hollie Poetry’s tour is bookended with a single release on 13th April called “Get Used To This (Embarassed)” part of Hollie’s Versus album launch comprising 12 poems. The album is essentially a mix of poems for those who love, hate or who have never bothered to listen to poetry before. Hollie’s new single “Get Used to This (Embarassed)” is a very personal tale of her own struggles faced whilst breast-feeding her young daughter…
There is a one-off opportunity to attend a special workshop as part of the Ocean Song project working with Chris Watson known for his work on David Attenborough’s Life On Earth series and Frozen Planet, as well as work for radio, including BBC Radio 4’s wonderful Tweet of the Day. All the team members at Historyworks are huge fans of Chris’ work and recommend you applying to join this workshop to capture the sounds of the waterways and their wildlife at Wicken Fen. It will be a wonderful opportunity to meet Chris, learn about recording in the natural world, and discover a world of sound from the different watery habitats around the great Wicken Fen nature reserve. Booking is essential because places are limited. To apply for tickets you need to contact Alicia at the Zoology Museum on email:
umzc@zoo.cam.ac.uk
There are a few places left for this Saturday’s workshop at The Polar Museum led by Rowena Whitehead for the Museum of Zoology “Ocean Song: Sounds of the Sea Project”. It is suitable for ages 8 up to 90s, and no singing experience is necessary, just enthusiasm! Booking is essential, and to reserve your place, CLICK here: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ocean-song-project-workshop-tickets-16331703565
“A Little Chaos” is a film released in UK this Spring, with the entire score composed by Peter Gregson, who composed “Infinity”, the 3rd track for Cycle of Songs album last year. The film is about Louis XIV’s gardener, and is an Alan Rickman production, starring Kate Winslet. Peter was working on this score at same time as CoS and it was recorded by him at the famous Abbey Road recording studios in London. See the trailer and look out for “Music Composed by Peter Gregson” at 2.26 frame here:
The Dowsing Sound Collective has its first ever LungJam event in the Cambridge Corn Exchange on Wednesday 1st April.
LungJam is part of the launch of Cambridge Live - the new charity being set up to run the Cambridge Corn Exchange, Cambridge Folk Festival and Cambridge City Events. Starting at 8pm on Wednesday 1st April, with a bar open throughout, the gig is pretty experimental – think 800 voices in the audience belting out the tunes of some utterly brilliant tracks, accompanied by The DSC band and around 120 singers on stage for a bit of moral support. The set list is cracking, ranging from Gnarls Barkley, The Clash, and U2 to Wild Cherry, Oasis and Elbow - it will be Cambridge, literally, live.
As part of LungJam, The DSC is offering five talented Cambridge people the once in a lifetime opportunity to perform in front of a packed Cambridge Corn Exchange audience. There are six songs to choose from (Sam Smith – Stay with me / Foxes – Holding onto Heaven / Elbow – One day like this / Robbie Williams – Let me entertain you / Amy Winehouse & Mark Ronson – Valerie / Stone cold sober – Paloma Faith) and the individuals that get chosen will have a chance to rehearse with The DSC band before going live.
To apply, all you need to do is film yourself singing their chosen track from the above list, and send through the link to The DSC team using an online audition form which can be found here: www.thedowsingsoundcollective.com/ihaveavoice. A shortlist will be drawn from all the online entries, and face-to-face auditions held for the individuals lucky enough to get shortlisted on Tuesday 17th March, with results being announced on social media the next day.
The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 13th March. For full details, please see www.thedowsingsoundcollective.com/lungjam.
For more information about Cambridge Live, please see www.cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
Free New Website and App for Cambridge!
This Spring has seen the exciting launch of Culture Finder Cambridge, a new website and app, where you can discover more about objects and places, allowing for serendipity to tempt you to new cultural experiences. We are very proud that the Cycle of Songs is featured as a tour and all nine of our places are in the process of being uploaded as a bespoke tour here:
Concert at 8pm Saturday 14th March
St Augustine's Church, Richmond Road, Cambridge, CB4 3PS
Concert at 3pm on Sunday 15th March
Unitarian Church, Emmanuel Road, Cambridge, CB1 1JW
Rowena Whitehead invites you to give your Inner Revolutionary Being a vocal treat and come along and join us for the evening on Sat 14th at 8pm or for our matinee on Sunday 15th at 3pm.
In the performance we tell the story of the Caucasian Chalk Circle, through songs all penned by the talented Songstress Kirsty Martin.
THE CHALK CIRCLE COLLECTIVE is:
Helen Chadwick, Sally Davies, Pauline Down, Joanna Foster, Kirsty Martin, Martina Schwarz and Rowena Whitehead,supported by Frankie Armstrong and instrumentalist Mikey Price.
Tickets on the DOOR and via: talkingintune@ntlworld.com
Concert of Songs and Performances
Cycle of Songs remembers with warmth the fantastic LIVE performance given by the youth group, Ten Sing, outside Cambridge Junction last summer. Do support these fantastic young singers by attending their concert at Histon Baptist Church, on Saturday 14th March.
£6 Adults
£4 Children
£12 Family
Big thanks to everyone who supported the ‘Singing History’ at the West Road Concert Hall which was packed out with families and balloons for this celebratory concert featuring new pieces connecting Cambridge places & people. It was great to feature community choirs and primary choirs from the Cycle of Songs & to have the Cycle of Songs banner up again! Photos are uploaded & the flickr project album is here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/historyworks/sets/72157649235527130/
For more information about the ‘Creating My Cambridge – Singing History’ project, please go to http://historyworks.tv/
Dowsing Sound Collective return to the Corn Exchange for their annual Christmas Cocktail event on Sunday 14th December. Described as Cambridge’s answer to Pink Martini, Dowsing’s equally unconventional line-up of over 120 voices and instrumentalists will definitely get you in the Christmas spirit. To find out more you can follow the link or click on the poster below:
www.cornex.co.uk/dowsing-christmas-cocktail
Historyworks has a new project that will launch with Michael Rosen at The Fitzwilliam Museum on Friday, 5th December. Launch participants invited to sing at a special workshop featuring Michael Rosen and Inja Maker for some lyrical fun, are the primary school choirs associated with the Cycle of Songs. Resources about the Fitz Lion Poem and Songs are produced by Historyworks to support all Cambridge Primary Schools to participate in the project the following term. We will be making films and audio tracks with Michael Rosen and Inja and the singers to create further resources for schools. Historyworks is working in collaboration with CaMEO and so we will be able to support primary schools to work towards a concert hosted by CaMEO on Sunday, 8th March. Therfore, if you are a primary school student or teacher or parent, and would like your school to participate next term, do contact Helen at Historyworks via:historyworks@gmail.com
Launch by the CoS participating schools including King’s Choristers, Milton Road Primary, Milton Village Primary, St Phillip’s School, The Spinney School. Historyworks resources page:
http://historyworks.tv/projects/2014/11/06/singing-history/
Saturday 13th December – 3pm kickoff – Cambridge United Football Ground, Abbey Stadium, Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8LN Details about singing beforehand and at halftime will be circulated at the Rehearsal on Sunday 7th December & available via Karen Reid:
Because this event involves all the singers being ticketed and having information about the entry and timings and songsheets in advance – underlining that to participate you do need to register with Karen Reid via
Email: Karen.Reid@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Sunday 7th December – 5.30pm to 7pm at St Matthew’s Primary School, Norfolk Street, CB1 2LD
Karen Reid at Cambridge City Council has contacted Cycle of Songs to invite singers to participate in a special event to Commemorate the Centenary of the Christmas Day Truce of the First World War. The chosen Cambridge United game is December 13th and several choirs are already signed up to join forces to sing before and during the game, which will include singers, a band, a bugler, and players wearing WW1 style kit for re-enacting the WW1 Christmas Day truce at half-time.
The Rehearsal will be at St Matthew’s School from 5.30pm to 7.00pm on Sunday 7th December. Show up on the day but do email Karen Reid to register all your names at Karen.Reid@cambridgeshire.gov.uk for receiving FREE allocated singers’ tickets & entry information for the game on the afternoon of Saturday 13th December. All are Welcome – Individual Singers bring your family and friends!
Peter Gregson, composer of Cycle of Songs track “Infinity” has a new album out with 9 songs called “Lights in the Sky” released this Autumn with music for cello, piano and minimoog. It is available online now, and you can find information about the iTunes album and have a listen to a beautiful track featuring Peter playing the cello here:
Saturday 6th December – 2pm/3pm
St Phillip’s Church, 185 Mill Road, Cambridge, CB1 3AN
See below or click here for Rehearsal Times. The Contact email is elf33@cam.ac.uk
All are welcome to the rehearsal and the 'Come and Sing' Event at Mill Road Fair, so do invite family and friend along!
This invitation is from Cambridge Music Faculty Education & Outreach – if you want further info please be in touch with Tizzy at elf33@cam.ac.uk
Saturday 29th November – 10am to 1pm
Concert Hall, Music Faculty, 11 West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DP
Invitation from Cambridge Music Faculty Education & Outreach
To help fill the scratch choir hole we want to invite Cycle of Song participants to a special 'Christmas Cheer' Morning of singing on Saturday 29th November, where we'll be leading a singing (and big band) workshop in preparation for singing at Mill Road Fair on Saturday 6th December, at 2pm at St. Philip's Church. We're also hoping to have a Community Big Band perform with us as well, which should be really fun! We'll be rehearsing at West Road Concert Hall from 10am-1pm on Saturday 29th November, with a nice long break in the middle, to enjoy a chance to socialise and eat some mince pies/other festive treats! :-)
Tuesday 18th November – 8pm Kettle’s Yard – Alex Cook – free concert
Alex Cook, composer of CYCLE OF SONGS track “To Seek a Dream”, will co-curate a concert of contemporary compositions performed by young musicians. Alex had never performed at Kettles prior to our Cycle of Songs project and was inspired by the experience to host his first concert at Kettle's Yard– all Welcome!
The concert is part of the CAMBRIDGE MUSIC FESTIVAL and is co-curated by young composers Alex Cook & Alex Woolf – it will feature an evening of new music – written and performed by a talented new generation of young composers and musicians. The concert is co-ordinated by Composers in Action, and this event combines the talents of the Young Composers’ Network and Aldeburgh Young Musicians. Entry is free and not ticketed because spaces are allocated on a first-come first-served basis. For more information on the festival: http://www.cammusic.co.uk/events.html
NEW ALBUM – “Lights in the Sky” – Peter Gregson
Peter Gregson, composer of CYCLE OF SONGS track “Infinity” has a new album out with 9 songs called “Lights in the Sky” released this Autumn with music for cello, piano and minimoog. It is available online now, and you can find information about the iTunes album and have a listen to a beautiful track featuring Peter playing the cello here:
Sunday 16th November – 3.30pm King’s Chapel Evensong – Performance of Michael Berkeley’s Cycle of Songs track “Build This House” - free entry
All Cycle of Songs participants, partners & families are warmly invited to Evensong by Stephen Cleobury, King’s College’s Music Director to hear a live performance of CYCLE OF SONGS track “Build This House” newly adapted from childrens’ choir for full choir scored for SATB by Michael Berkeley for King’s College Choir, called “Sing A Song of Praise” which will be the introit performed at this special Evensong to mark the publication of ‘King’s College Chapel, 1515-2015. Art, Music and Religion in Cambridge”. The Cycle of Songs Primary Choir children & their families who performed “Build This House” are particularly welcome! The service is free & if you want to sit close to the Choir, - seats are allocated on a first-come first-served basis and to be closeby the choir as they perform it is recommend you sit on benches beyond the choir stalls in the Chapel at 3.15pm, i.e. 15 minutes before the service commences.
Saturday 8th November – 8pm ReSound Concert
Fab A Cappella Quartet B Naturals with ReSound A Capella Choir
The Centre at St Paul’s, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 1JP
Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on the door
This concert is a fundraiser organized by Rowena Whitehead for Talking in Tune’s new singing group called ‘The Memory Notes” for people with memory challenges & early to mid-stage dementia. Book your tickets via email to tintevents@gmail.com or call to Talking in Tune: 01223-479343
Wednesday 29th October – 7pm“Freedom” Performance & Zimbe!
Your Song: Celebration of Community Singing organized by CaMEO
Concert Hall, Music Faculty, West Road, 7pm to 9pm
Inja will be performing his CYCLE OF SONGS track called ‘Freedom’ with singers from Rev & Sing! in the first half, and in the second half many CoS singers will join forces with a couple of hundred to perform the amazing African album scored for chorus and jazz quartet called Zimbe! All welcome!
Festival of Ideas Free tickets via Eventbrite
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/your-song-concert-tickets-13123927019?ref=ebtn
Saturday 18th October – 4.30pm ReSound Performance
Castle Hill Open Day 12 to 5pm – FREE activities at Kettle’s Yard,
Museum of Cambridge, St Peter’s Church, St Giles’ Church,
Cambridge Castle & Castle Street Methodist Church
Find details of history walks & choir performances at
Kettles Yard website = ww.kettlesyeard.co.uk/openday
ReSound singing at 4.30pm opp Kettles at St Giles’ Church
For transparency the Cycle of Songs Report which was compiled in partnership by Marcus Romer and Helen Weinstein and Jon Calver and completed by Historyworks has been made available via Microsoft Word doc so that you can download it here:
Cycle of Songs report (docx)
On Sunday 28 September, Rowena Whitehead will be leading a Sunday afternoon Resonant Song workshop from 2.15-3.15pm at the beautiful St Cyriac and St Julitta Church in Swaffham Prior ( beyond Anglesey Abbey) CB25 0JX. There are two churches next to each other in the village centre - St Cyriac's is on the right and is a redundant church. .
The workshop is open to all and Rowena will share some simple harmonious songs which are guaranteed to set your heart and soul tingling as we make amazing sounds in the stunning acoustics of the church.
Members of ReSound Choir will be supporting the workshop and everything will be taught by ear- no experience necessary!
After a shared tea, ReSound will sing for your delight from 3.45-4.45 and workshop participants will be invited to join in with songs we have shared together.
You are welcome just to come along for the second part of the afternoon.
Bring warm layers as the church is not heated and it is often warmer outside than in!
If you're planning to come, it would be helpful if you can email back to talkingintune@ntlworld.com so we know how much flapjack to make - but it is fine to turn up on the door!
App Maps for Cycle of Songs - Distributed for Cambridge Open Heritage Day - 13th September 2014
Creative Director and Producer for Cycle of Songs, Helen Weinstein, was invited by Great St Mary's to help with the Open Heritage Day for Cambridge on Saturday 13th September and we had our Cycle of Songs banner set up from 10am and a group of keen helpers.
Our aim was to talk to residents and visitors who were visitng King's Parade and Great St Mary's for the Open Heritage Day, and show them the cultural attractions set out on the "Hop on Your Bike" leaflet, and show them the Cycle of Songs app on our phones and show them how to use it as part of their experience for Open Heritage Day. This proved to be enormously successful with members of the public joining blue badge tours and also using our Cycle of Songs map and app - and it was very heartening seeing young and old using our app map leaflet and sharing it with friends and family members!
Afterwards, our Historyworks team had a terrific day taking photographs and footage for Great St Mary's to support their heritage officer Rosie Sharkey for the Elizabethan Pageant. We made a short film to mark 450 years since Elizabeth I visited Cambridge on her royal progress, and you can find the film Directed and Produced by Historyworks here:
Cycle of Song participants are invited to have an opporutnity to continue singing together by joining this fantastic project - running 23rd September to 29th October - with rehearsals and performances at the Music Faculty, West Road, University of Cambridge.
Cambridge Music Education Outreach (CaMEO) is offering a wonderful chance to celebrate community singing in Cambridge, with a wide range of choirs and people of different ages singing some really joyful pieces from the African choral work 'Zimbe' and also a piece that sums up a choirs own unique 'identity'. The performance is at the Music Faculty's West Road Concert Hall on Wednesday 29th October - the first half will be choirs singing one or two pieces from their repertoire to fit with the Festival of Ideas theme of 'identity' and the second half will be the performance of the Choral Work 'Zimbe'. CaMEO will encourage families to participate, by offering rehearsals for the 'scratch choir' scheduled at a family friendly time in early evening. Also, the concert will be scheduled for early evening, with the aim to finish for 9pm.
Come and join their 'scratch choir' which will form especially for this event, from people from the 'Cycle of Songs Scratch Choir', University of Cambridge staff/students, and anyone else who would like to join.
This choir will sing a couple of the 'Zimbe' songs and also a song which sums up their 'identity' as a choir. The 'scratch choir' will rehearse at a slightly earlier time than we had for 'Cycle of Songs popup Choir' rehearsals - to test out if we can encourage parents/carers to come with their children- therefore the 'Your Song' start time of 6.30pm and running until 8.00pm is designed to allow teenagers to join for the entire rehearsal if appropriate with homework schedules - families with younger children to come for the first half and then take their children home to bed, if they wish.
Rehearsals/Performances as follows:
Tuesday 23rd Sept 6.30pm - 8.00pm
Tuesday 30th Sept 6.30pm - 8.00pm
Tuesday 7th October 6.30pm - 8.00pm
Tuesday 14th October 6.30pm - 8.00pm
Tuesday 21st October 6.30pm - 8.00pm
Sunday 26th October- daytime whole choir rehearsal (probably afternoon)
Tuesday 28th October- early evening rehearsal
Wednesday 29th October- from early evening for final sound check/rehearsal and performance (finishing at approx. 9pm)
If you would like to find out more, please contact CaMEO at outreach@mus.cam.ac.uk
The commitment from choirs would be:
Songs
To perform 3 songs (as a minimum, but could be more ) comprising of the following:
1 song that represents your choir's identity- choir's own choice to perform on stage in first half
2 songs from 'Zimbe' for your choir to sing joining forces with the 'scratch' choir & other choirs
The 'Zimbe' music will be available for people to start rehearsing from the beginning of the school term, so they will have almost two months to rehearse songs as a choir. You can listen to some audio clips of songs from the 'Zimbe' on their website: http://www.zimbe.net/audio-clips
Choirs are to have learnt all 'Zimbe' songs (that the choir has chosen to sing) ready to perform at the rehearsal on Sunday 26th October, in their own choir rehearsal time.
Then the choirs will come together for the final rehearsals and performance, on the following dates:
Sunday 26th October- daytime whole choir rehearsal (probably afternoon)
Tuesday 28th October- early evening rehearsal
Wednesday 29th October- from early evening for final sound check/rehearsal and performance (finishing at approx. 9pm)
If you would like to find out more, please contact CaMEO at outreach@mus.cam.ac.uk
You can visit their website via http://outreach.mus.cam.ac.uk/
Cambridge Festival of Ideas http://www.cam.ac.uk/festival-of-ideas
Good News for the Arts and Media in new show called LIFE & ART!
Cambridge 105fm has an Arts Review programme which is newly presented and produced by Daniel Pitt, Arts Producer at the Cambridge Junction. Daniel kindly contacted Helen Weinstein, Creative Director and Producer of Cycle of Songs, to ask for mp3s of the Cycle of Songs tracks so that these could be featured on the new programme.
September’s hour includes an interview with local artist Issam Kourbaj exhibiting at Kettle’s Yard and a taster of the community singing history project called 'Cycle of Songs'.
Therefore, on Saturday 13th September, the Cycle of Songs was played out on air and the acheivements of the project described. To listen again, do find the podcast offering a rich review of Cambridge arts scene here:
http://cambridge105.fm/podcasts/life-art-13-09-2014/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
ELIZABETHAN MUSIC & PAGEANT – Great St Mary's invite Cycle of Songsters to return to this wonderful venue for two history and music events - Concert on Saturday 6th September - Pageant on Saturday 13th September
We have a wonderful concert at 7.30 pm on 6 September “In Peascod Time: Music, Words and Song for Summer and the Harvest” inside Great St Mary’s - tickets are on the door - £15 and concessions available
Join us with the Passamezzo ensemble for a collection of ballads, readings, madrigals, lutesongs, dance melodies and consort music from sixteenth and seventeenth-century England, inspired by nature and in particular summertime and the harvest.
The musicians will be in Elizabethan costume and Queen Elizabeth I herself will make an appearance during the evening, in advance of her official royal visit to Cambridge on Saturday 13 September. 2014 is the 450th anniversary of the Queen’s only trip to Cambridge, which was marked by music, pageantry and celebrations.?? The concert programme includes music by Cavendish, Bennet, Greene, East, Johnson, Pilkington, Purcell and Robinson, and words by Breton, Herrick, Nashe and Shakespeare.
At 1.30pm the Virgin Queen will arrive and invite her loyal subjects to join the parade of time-travelling Elizabethans as they walk through the centre of Cambridge. The royal procession will visit historic colleges and enjoy music, dance and the day will end with a special evensong in King’s College Chapel. See the route and timetable below.
The whole pageant is free and has been supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It is one of the highlights of this year’s Open Cambridge, a special weekend in September when Cambridge unlocks its secrets and welcomes you through the doors of some of its most beautiful and intriguing places.
Feel free to drop in for part of the day or follow the royal procession all afternoon. All timings are approximate.
§ 11am-1.30pm: Tudor crafts, baking and market traders at Great St Mary’s.
§ 1.30pm: Meet the Queen as she emerges from Great St Mary’s with a fanfare and visits the Tudor market. Follow the parade to St John’s College along Trinity Street.
§ 2pm: Follow the parade to St John’s College along Trinity Street.
§ 2.30pm: The procession arrives at St John’s to hear about Elizabeth’s great-grandmother in the chapel, or visit the Old Library to see the exhibition of Tudor treasures.
§ 3.15pm: Fanfare and speech about Elizabeth’s illustrious father, Henry VIII, at Trinity Great Gate. The procession returns to Great St Mary’s and market square.
§ 3.45pm: Elizabeth meets the mayor, Cllr Gerri Bird at the Guildhall.
§ 4pm: The royal party arrives at King’s College gates and walks to the Chapel, where visitors can enter this magnificent building free of charge with the Queen as she is greeted by organ music and a special sung evensong.
§ 5.15pm: The Queen departs to her lodgings and says goodbye to her subjects at King’s College Chapel.
On Thursday 7th August, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire’s Sue Dougan invited the Creative Director of Historyworks and Producer for Cycle of Songs, Helen Weinstein, to celebrate the achievements of the project and to raise awareness of the digital legacy in the app and website resources. Accordingly Helen Weinstein brought a pile of the Cycle of Songs app/maps to the BBC Reception to share with the staff at BBC Cambridgeshire and with those visiting studios over the next weeks.
At 2pm, Helen Weinstein was due on air to join BBC Presenter, Sue Dougan for the hour-long show called “Chat Room” for which Helen had agreed to talk about working with our partners Pilot Theatre, international leaders for transformative digital experiences in the Arts – describing the legacies - both the future opportunities for individuals to continue singing together as a community in Cambridge – and for the pieces from Cycle of Songs to be enjoyed in perpetuity via the website, film, app.
Sue Dougan opened by asking Helen Weinstein, how she could best summarize what it had meant for the community to get behind Cycle of Songs and join in with such numbers to learn new pieces to sing together. The discussion focussed on the fun at The Fitzwilliam Museum for three hundred singers coming together to serenade the public and the cyclists. Sue also remarked on the photograph that had widely circulated showing the winner from the Tour de France stage 3, Marc Kittel, looking up from the road in wonder at the Cycle of Songs choir as he cycled with his team past the Fitz.
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Sue Dougan was very keen to learn how Helen Weinstein had brought the vision of the project together with the guidance of the Artistic Director, Marcus Romer, - of working with artists, historians, local choirs and singers to produce the nine new songs along the route. As an example, Helen described the ‘Reality Checkpoint’ song and the research she had uncovered about the naming of Parker’s Piece and the range of activities the community had enjoyed there from feasting to skipping to cricket, and how this initial research in January had made her all the more eager to amplify the range of gripping stories about Cambridge she had found in the bid phase for the project with her colleagues at Historyworks and Pilot Theatre. Once the project was all go, Helen talked about hearing from The Dowsing Sound Collective via twitter, and their enthusiasm for singing history about the places around Cambridge where choirs are based, and this had led to the matchmaking of Helen with choir leader and composer, Andrea Cockerton. Sue remarked how she has had Andrea on the show many times but talking about her composing would be a new element and this led neatly into the “Reality Checkpoint” track to be played out on air, performed by the wonderful 120 members of The Dowsing Sound Collective, composed and conducted by Andrea Cockerton.
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Following on from another taster from the app album tracks, Helen was keen to underline that there was a free app, and a tour of Cambridge available to download as a digital legacy for everyone to enjoy in Cambridge. Sue and Helen reminded the audience that all the tracks and the history stories can be found at cycle of songs dot com, and that the instructions for the app can be downloaded there too.
Also, Sue asked Helen about what would be happening next to follow on from the success of the Cycle of Songs, and Helen talked about the opportunities for Cycle of Songs singers and musicians to participate in new musical experiences. Namely, this Saturday, Cambridge Junction has organized an excellent event in Romsey at the Hope Street Yard called “One Song, One Gig” which many Cycle of Songs musicians and singers have signed up for. And although this opportunity was now full, people can go along to hear the performances at the end of the day. Details on the CoS website. Also, Helen explained in more detail how there was a great new project coming up in the Autumn, called “Your Song” at the Cambridge University Music Faculty to which everyone in Cambridgeshire was invited to join.
It would be run similarly to the Cycle of Songs ‘pop up’ Choir, with a series of free rehearsals for a ‘scratch choir’ in September and October, leading up to the performance of a wonderful choral work called “Zimbe” on 29th October. Many of the Cycle of Songs choir members are taking up the invitation to continue singing and are going to sign up to join “Your Song”, and we hope that the earlier rehearsal times will attract even more singers and their families to turn up to the Music Faculty to join in. Again, it was underlined in this broadcast that all these opportunities are listed on the Cycle of Songs website, so this is where BBC Cambs recommended listeners to visit to find out more about Cycle of Songs and the legacy projects. Helen thanked Sue for such a fun time on air, and we agreed to meet up in the BBC Cambrigeshire Chat Room again this Autumn, to play some of the “Zimbe” choral tracks as an invitation before rehearsals start for “Your Song” this September.
First published in The Cambridge News on Friday 25 July 2014.
Schoolchildren delved into the past for a singing project based on Cambridge’s history.
More than 120 youngsters from Milton Road Primary School entertained parents and fellow pupils this week with pieces from the ‘Cycle of Songs’ project, which was devised in conjunction with the Tour de France’s visit earlier this month.
The songs, written by Horrible Histories songwriter Dave Cohen, were based on the life of Cambridge mail carrier Thomas Hobson.
Professor Helen Weinstein, producer for Cycle of Songs project, said: “The project has been a very immersive experience for me, starting with the history research, because my idea in creating the Cycle of Songs was to work with colleagues and partners to uncover hidden history about spaces and people in Cambridge, and to have these stories expressed musically.”
Graham McArthur, headteacher of Milton Road Primary School, said: “The Cycle of Songs project has provided our large school choir with marvellous opportunities to engage creatively and musically with like-minded pupils and adults – it has extended our musical repertoire and enabled us to perform in spectacular settings and in front of a world-wide audience.
“A truly memorable event!”
More than a thousand schoolchildren have taken part in the Cycle of Song Project by singing their hearts out in iconic locations all over the city.
Choir leader Anna Louise Lawrence said: “The whole process of the project has been remarkable - singing in King’s Chapel alongside the Choristers for the piece by Michael Berkeley, recording in Great St Mary’s and picnicing in their gardens, and of course, serenading the cyclists from the steps of the Fitzwilliam Museum, and listening to the new Michael Rosen poem about the Lions.
“The app leaves a lasting legacy, one where you can walk around the spaces of our city in Cambridge, and hear all these wonderful lyrics as an adventure in sound.”
To download the app or to find out more visit cycleofsongs.org.
You can read the original article on http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambridge/SLIDESHOW-Milton-Road-Primary-School-children-sing-their-hearts-out-for-Cycle-of-Songs-project-20140725064459.htm#ixzz38Sv8JTkP
Part of Romsey Art Festival
One day, one song, one gig!
Cycle of Songs singers and musicians are invited to join Cambridge Junction as they make a band, create a song and perform it live at Hope Street Yard in Romsey, Cambridge - all in one day.
Artists Sue Palmer, Joff Winterhart and Simon Roberts work with people to make things together: bands, songs, drawings, conversations, performances.
Our collaborative trio is well known for its welcoming and moment-defining pan-generational participatory arts projects: ‘The 100 Year Old Band’ in Bristol and Finland, and the ‘No 1 Bus’ project for B-side festival in Dorset.
They're inviting the people of Cambridge to join them in making a band in a day: a pan-generational, multi-ability group.
Assemble your xylophone
Borrow a bass
Get out your old harmonica
Tune up those tablas .....
You might be 88 or 22, 14 or 41 ....
Join them in creating a truly unusual sight and sound!
If you love singing, a beginner who's only just begun, a seasoned pro or you've just always wanted to be in a band, now's your chance....
You need to be able to attend all day on Sat 09 Aug.
You need to be able to look after yourself during the day, and happily collaborate with people across age and ability, so the project is not suitable for very young children.
And you need to be able to bring an instrument ready to play or your vocal chords!
Please contact them for information and sign-up:
Daniel Pitt daniel.pitt@junction.co.uk
For more information visit http://www.junction.co.uk/artist/6527
On Tuesday 22nd July 2014 Helen Weinstein, the Creative Director and Producer for Cycle of Songs organized a celebration of the achievements and their recordings for the app with Milton Road Primary School Choir Leaders, whose children in the choir have featured prominently in the project singing at Sing & Swim, the Fitzwilliam Museum Song Fest, and singing for the recordings of ‘Hooray for Hobson’ and ‘Build This House’ for the app.
To help capture this event and to amplify the filming and photography already taken by the team at Historyworks, was photographer from Cambridge News, David Johnson, invited by Cycle of Songs to join Helen today to be taking photos for a press article about the children’s involvement with the project. The children were already prepared when we arrived, dressed in their choir t-shirts and energetically requesting songs they would like to sing.
After some co-ordinating by their Choir Leaders, Anna-Louise Lawrence and Becky Sharp, they were ready for their performance and press photos. Some of the children were holding detached handlebars and bells, (donated and made by the wonderful Colin at the bike repair shop called “University Cycles” by Victoria Bridge); and others were holding Cycle of Songs App Maps as they sang the Hobson’s Horses songs, with music composed by Karen Wimhurst, lyrics written by writer for Horrible Histories, Dave Cohen, researched by the team at Historyworks with key sources uncovered by Cambridge research student, Janine Noack. The Producer, Helen Weinstein, has already been into school to show all 400 pupils the film and the app map, and encouraged the children to test out exploring all 9 songs with their families this holiday using the website or a smartphone in situ.
All 120 in the chior were on great form and sounded fantastic. To complete the copy needed for the Cambridge News, Helen Weinstein did not leave the school before gathering quotes from the Headteacher, Graham MacArthur, and quotes from their Choir Leader, Anna-Louise Lawrence. Following on, a few of the children offered feedback about the project and how the experience affected their engagement with the city and its history. You can read the view of the Headteacher, and their insightful responses below:
Graham MacArthur, Headteacher, Milton Road Primary School: The Cycle of Songs Project has provided our large school choir with marvellous opportunities to engage creatively and musically with like-minded pupils and adults; it has extended our musical repertoire and enabled us to perform in spectacular settings and in front of a world-wide audience. A truly memorable event!
Thoughts from the students at Milton Road Primary about the experience of singing history-related songs for the Cycle of Songs:
Anna: It was good learning something new and it was really interesting.
Eleanor: Singing helps us get interested in history.
Alma: Sometimes in History lessons you don't understand it - but now we get to sing the history, we understand it more.
Alex: It was really important to be singing history because it is a great way to remember the past if you sing it. I’d never heard about Hobson before, never.
Thoughts on singing in King’s College Chapel:
Alex: The best thing about being in King's was the singing, and we enjoyed meeting the choristers.
Amira: For me, singing in Kings was something new because I'd never been there before and it was exciting. I really enjoyed it - especially the singing.
Thoughts on singing on the steps of the Fitzwilliam Museum to the Tour de France cyclists:
Alex: I liked singing on the steps and seeing the cyclists go past. The Tour de France will only happen in Cambridge once in our lifetime, and we were there on the steps of the Fitzwilliam Museum to sing to them as they rode past - something i'll never forget.
Choir Leader and Teacher at Milton Road Primary School, Anna-Louise Lawrence said: “Learning a specially commissioned piece with the music written by Karen Wimhurst was quite a challenge, but one the children rose to brilliantly. The whole process of the project has been remarkable - singing in King's Chapel alongside the Choristers for the piece by Michael Berkeley, recording in Great St Mary's and picnicing in their gardens, and of course, serenading the cyclists from the steps of the Fitzwilliam Museum, and listening to the new Michael Rosen poem about the Lions. The app leaves a lasting legacy, one where you can walk around the spaces of our city in Cambridge, and hear all these wonderful lyrics as an adventure in sound.
An invitation to Creative Director and Producer, Helen Weinstein, to speak at Assembly for the end of term at The Spinney Primary School in Cherry Hinton was warmly received. All 220 pupils were in the School Hall where the Headteachers of the Spinney Singers, greeted and welcomed Helen in front of the school to introduce the Cycle of Songs films and app and app maps, before Arlette Overman led the children in performing several songs, including the ever popular round, ‘Hobson’s Horses’, commissioned by Cycle of Songs, sung here by the Spinney Singers at the Cambridge Junction, captured by Historyworks in this short film, introduced by Tizzy Faller from Cameo, and made by Henri Ward and Tiia Sahrakorpi, two of our fantastic production interns at Historyworks:
The school has engaged very deeply with the Cycle of Songs project, with all children learning the songs, ‘Why We Ride’ and ‘Hobson’s Horses’, and also developing history and geography lessons using the resources provided on the CoS website. It was brilliant to see the childrens’ faces as they watched the Cycle of Songs film, mouthing along to ‘Why We Ride’ and smiling throughout as they recognized the places, stories, songs. At the end of the Assembly, all the children who had taken part in the Spinney Singer performances for Cycle of Songs were presented with a Certificate of Achievement Further, in the presentation by Helen Weinstein, more than 200 children present were shown the App, listened to some snippets of songs via Helen’s smartphone, and every student was given an app map leaflet to take home to share with friends and family.
Afterwards, Headteacher Rachel Snape talked to Creative Director Helen Weinstein in detail about the ethos of creativity at the School and was full of praise for the Cycle of Songs project: “We cannot thank you enough for your visionary project – just so inclusive and inspiring and one which will leave a lasting legacy”. In addition, Rachel Snape and Helen Weinstein explored ways the project might develop next year with ‘map/apps = mapps” for history used in conjunction with music to develop materials for reading/writing in the curriculum for Cambridge. In addition, Rachel organized a meeting with Jane Warwick from the Faculty of Education, where she distributed the app leaflets for Initial Teacher Trainees, and suggested that Helen leads a workshop next term so that CPD be developed for trainee teachers to use the stories, spaces places and people included in the “mapp”. It was a very successful visit with The Spinney Primary School, and the hope is that further partnership will be possible to develop exciting and inclusive projects for the future, taking forward the school’s mantra for engagement this year “Learning is a Journey not a Destination”.
On the Tuesday 15th July, a tranquil singing event took place within the tiny Church of St Peter’s on Pound Hill in Cambridge. Originally built in the 11th century, with the Saxon past of the church showing in the lovely carved doorways, it is to be found tucked away adjacent to Kettles Yard. For this, their last concert of the year by the ReSound Choir, led by Rowena Whitehead, this unique space was decorated with wild flowers and the window sills were festooned with small candles beautifully illuminating the glass, creating a magical atmosphere for the singers and a select audience of family and friends.
The choir members were spaced elegantly around the walls to perform, allowing the sound to bounce to one another across this small chancel. Only a few special guests were invited, including Helen Weinstein, Creative Director and Producer for the Cycle of Songs, who was very honoured to be publicly thanked and for the singers to celebrate their participation in the Cycle of Songs project, for which they sung “Why We Ride”. The evening was an opportunity to share friendship and music, for Helen to give out the app maps to those who had not yet received them and show them how the app sounded whilst everyone shared their brought refreshments in the dusk of the wild flower meadow that is the graveyard. A wonderful way to wrap up the experience of singing and feeling a shared humanity!
On the day of the end of term concert, the Milton C of E Primary School were in fine form, singing warmup rounds of “Hobson’s Horses” and then the more complex “Hooray for Hobson” composed by Karen Wimhurst with lyrics by the Horrible Histories lyricist, Dave Cohen. The Creative Director and Producer, Helen Weinstein was invited to the school to talk to the Hall filled with more than 400 children about the job of a historian, why local history matters so that you know about where you live, and to celebrate the achievements for singing history that the project has accomplished with the children at Milton Primary.
The students also asked many insightful questions about what was involved in making recordings and making films and how we made the choices about what was included to tell the narrative. Lastly, after a big sing, the children were shown the app, and all 480 pupils were given an app map to take home at the end of school to share at home with family and friends in the community.
After the huge success of the first live performance of “Reality Checkpoint” at the July 5th Big Weekend Mainstage launch for Cycle of Songs in Cambridge, it was excellent timing for the acclaimed choir, ‘The Dowsing Sound Collective’ to perform their Cycle of Songs piece at their very next gig at the Apex Concert Hall in Bury St Edmunds, on Sunday 13th July. The composer and leader of the choir Andrea Cockerton says that the choir has been described as an “harmonic phenomenon bursting onto the scene like a firecracker”. At the Apex, we’ve heard from choir members that the entire audience was rocking to the song. Therefore, it was great to learn that both the singers and the audiences really enjoyed the performance of the piece called “Reality Checkpoint” which is the first number on the app album for Cycle of Songs.
Andrea Cockerton shared her reflections of their journey recording and composing and leading the Dowsing Sound Collective with Helen Weinstein, Creative Director and Producer of the Cycle of Songs: “We were really impressed with the end result, and had a lot of fun working with you on the Dowsing track – and performing it at the Big Weekend. Thank you very much for the opportunity to work with you on this – the choir enjoyed it immensely too which is great, and when we performed it in the Apex, it went down a treat there too! “
Do watch the short film from Historyworks showing the rehearsal and recording of "Reality Checkpoint - Parker's Piece' here: www.cycleofsongs.org/film/
It has been a very exciting week for Cycle of Songs composer, Kirsty Martin, who not only came and co-conducted the singers at the Song Fest on the steps of The Fitzwilliam Museum for the Tour de France on 7th July, but also had her new piece, “Unsung Women” performed live for the first time at the massive Hebden Bridge Street Choirs Festival. This is an annual festival which involves many hundreds singing over a weekend. On Saturday 12th July at 2pm Kirsty led a performance at Holt’s Yard, conducting the Cambridge Choir, ‘Women of Note’, and they performed the song about women’s fight for equality. If you wish to listen to the song yourself, please go to number 5 on the app which you can download now!
To find out more about the choir, ‘Women of Note’ please click here, To find out more about the history of women in Cambridge’s dissatisfaction with the glass ceiling, please click here.
Following on from the huge interest in the Cycle of Songs, Helen Weinstein, the Creative Director and Producer, was invited to the Rugby Union Football Club at Cambridge University. The meeting was to share ideas about how we might share the learning from the Cycle of Songs, about how best to translate sources and original research into a product that could be used and appreciated by many in the community not only those interested in Rugby Union.
Ian Minto, Director of Operations at Cambridge University Rugby Union is a very keen historian and has ambitions to develop and share the history of the club. We talked initially about ways to commemorate the First World War and the many members of the club who had served in the conflict, which we could organize together with a local history group to select source materials for a screenshow to show at the Twickenham Varsity Game this December.
However, once the Cycle of Songs app maps were distributed, we had a wider brainstorm about how we might extend the history of cycling into a history tour that incorporated all sports across the city and university, whether they be more formal games like rugby and football, less well known traditions from croquet and fives, or more informal sports, just as important to Cambridge’s identity, like skipping games at Parker’s Piece or swimming traditions in outdoor spaces from the Jesus Green Lido to the River Cam.
If you would like to join a local history group to explore the history of sport and leisure in the city, do please contact Ian Minto at the University Rugby Club via email: ian.minto@curufc.com
Numerous choir members and community history enthusiasts joined the walk led by Allan Brigham on Wednesday 9th July. Allan is a local historian and Blue Badge Guide who has given valuable guidance to Helen Weinstein for the local history research for the Cycle of Songs.
It was therefore fitting that the walk began on Parker’s Piece, the starting point for the first song on the Cycle of Songs app, called “Reality Checkpoint”. The walk was a reminder of the way that Parker’s Piece was central to the history of cricket and also the founding of the FA Rules. In addition, the focus on Mill Road led to an important discussion about how Cambridge changed with the coming of the railway, so that where there was once a Mill (closeby where the Sally Army shop now sits) surrounded by the fields and lanes of a rural edge to Cambridge, these were destined for row houses post 1845 for workers on the railways and the colleges as both developed in tandem.
The explorations around the Mill Road Cemetry and Ditchburne Place were extremely illuminating, the juxtaposition between the Workhouse and the Dead, both originally placed outside the city. We all learnt lots from Allan Brigham, and the tour ended by The Bath House, with everyone taking home Cycle of Songs leaflets to share and distribute with friends and family.
If you want to get in touch with Allan Brigham to be on the mailing list for ‘Town NOT Gown’ then email townnotgown@btinternet.com
Originally posted on the MusiCB3 Blog
by Helen Snelling and Natalie Chabot, on 14th July 2014.
On Monday 7th July 2014, the Tour de France Stage 3 started in Cambridge en route to London. It was a gloriously sunny day, and members of the Faculty of Music were up bright and early to help with a celebration of the event in song from the steps of the Fitzwilliam Museum.
Cycle of Songs is an Arts Council England funded project commissioned by Cambridge City Council, devised by the award winning Pilot Theatre and Historyworks to mark the Tour de France visit to Cambridge on 7th July 2014. Nine pieces were commissioned from a wide range of composers and poets, inspired by historical research & based on words from original sources of fascinating & quirky stories at iconic locations along the Tour’s route in Cambridge.
This image shows an example of one, “Why we Ride”, celebrating cycling routes in Cambridge and the oldest bike shop in England. Composed by Kirsty Martin with Rowena Whitehead, based on lyrics by Hollie Mcnish and Inja, together with the song map and app leaflet and the badge worn by the singers. The songs were all performed by local choirs, musicians and poets to make a free app for Cambridge to leave a lasting digital legacy.
Cambridge Music Education Outreach (CaMEO), based at the Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge, has developed a portfolio of activities for secondary schools and colleges and primary schools alongside community projects and public events.
For the Tour de France on July 7th, CaMEO Outreach officer Joe Shaw, was joined by Helen Snelling from the Pendlebury Library of Music, Emily Daws, Stephen Perse Foundation Senior School and Natalie Chabot, St Ivo School. Joe was resplendent in his cycling lycra, with his hair dyed blue to match and kept the choirs entertained.
Emily and Natalie were on their first day of a work experience placement with the Faculty of Music, and wearing their CaMEO t-shirts were helping with groups of primary schoolchildren to the Fitzwilliam Museum and then enjoying a good vantage point for the race. Emily commented “Singing with the children and adult choirs on the steps at the front of the Fitzwilliam was an amazing experience – a lively atmosphere filled with music, singing as the cyclists went past”
To view a video of the event follow this link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bpbixb4vlqdyo3i/20140707_115528.mp4?n=299378648
This was a unique event that brought together the entire Cycle of Songs Choir, a number of schools, the Fitzwilliam Museum, and CaMEO to collectively celebrate in song the arrival of the Tour de France in Cambridge.
By HS and Natalie Chabot, work experience volunteer.
To view the original blog and other posts from the MusiCB3 Blog you can click here.
Monday 7th July 2014 was the day that Cambridge welcomed the Tour de France through its streets. The peloton was scheduled to start at Parker’s Piece at 12:15pm but much earlier that day the Cycle of Songs Team were on-route to the Fitzwilliam Museum, preparing to welcome over 300 singers that would be singing on the steps of the museum to the crowds and cyclists as they passed by on Trumpington Street. Planning this SongFest was only possible because of the partnership and input from The Fitzwilliam Museum, particuarly the Education Department.
The day started with a big welcome to the crew helping on the day, alongside a briefing introducing the Fitzwilliam Staff to the Cycle of Songs Crew and CamEO Volunteers, held at the back of Peterhouse College as a secondary route into the museum was needed to avoid the expected crowds in front. This was followed by preparations for the singer sign-ins as Helen Weinstein, Creative Director and Producer for Cycle of Songs, and Marcus Romer, Artistic Director for Cycle of Songs, were interviewed by Cambridge 105fm and BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. They spoke about the remarkable Song Fest that was scheduled for the afternoon and the inspiration and process of the project, especially the way that as Creative Director, Helen Weinstein had collaborated with Artists commissioned and inspired by history stories revealing places and people in Cambridge._medium.jpg)
It wasn’t long after 10am when the excitement mounted because 200 school children from Milton Road Primary School, Milton Road C of E Primary School, Shout Aloud, and the Spinney Singers started to arrive with teachers and Cambridge Music Education Outreach (CaMEO) staff Joe Shaw, Outreach Officer, and Tizzy Faller, Assistant Outreach Officer. Joe arrived, followed by the children, in a remarkably apt cyclist's outfit, much to the amusement of the unsuspecting staff.
Once signed in and wearing their special commemorative badges the children were given a rare opportunity to see the beautiful Peterhouse College Gardens as they were guided through them on a Hogwarts-style adventure to the Fitzwilliam Museum’s back entrance and into Gallery 3 for a collective rehearsal. The Museum was soon filled with the sound of robus singing because a massive music session that comprised of all the children singing songs commissioned for the project in one of the museum’s most spectacular rooms ensued, led by their dynamic and committed school choir leaders. The mix of four school groups all rehearsing in one space created an unusual but equally spectacular sound.
The next group to arrive at Peterhouse gate was the Cycle of Songs Choir of over a hundred members who were greeted with sign-in sheets, badges, and App Maps that advertise the Cycle of Songs App, the route, and the wonderful artwork designed by Tess Ainley. These “mapps” were well received with many taking a handful to share with with friends and relatives – some of which have found their way to China._medium.jpg)
The pre-entry sign-in gave many of the choir time to greet each other, catch-up and chat with other choir members in the sunshine. It also provided an opportunity for many of the singers to talk to the team about how much they enjoyed the project and the community that had formed throughout the projects rehearsals and events.
Once everybody had arrived Helen Weinstein spoke to the choir about the running order and thanked them for their hard work and enthusiasm. This was met with a thank you to the team on behalf of the choir who had bought flowers and wine as gifts. The day was already gearing up to be one of celebration, thanks, and positivity!
Following the route the children had already taken, the choir were directed to the portico of the Museum and greeted by the Searle Street Band who were invited by Helen Weinstein to perform there as a welcome. Their music was amplified by the sound system that the staff of the museum, CaMEO, and Cycle of Songs had been preparing whilst all the singers were being signed in._medium.jpg "Jon Calver of Historyworks setting up the sound system")
The people gathering along Trumpington Street in preparation for the race were also enjoying the unexpected treat of having musical accompaniment from the band, who have previously performed at a number of the Cycle of Songs events. Then at 11:30 the children joined the adults on the steps of the Fitwilliam Museum and the singing began. More than 300 singers of all ages from all over Cambridge came together to sing songs that celebrate the history of the city. The children who had learnt the song ‘Hooray for Hobson’ had the opportunity to meet and sing it to Dave Cohen, the writer of the piece. Inja, writer and performer of the song ‘Freedom’, attended with his daughter and heard his song played out to the hundreds of people lining Trumpington Street, and Alex Cook, composer and performer on ‘To Seek a Dream’ was also celebrating the completion of his composition for the project.
_medium.jpg "Dave Cohen with the Cycle of Songs Choir")
The collective choir was expertly led by the Choral Director for Cycle of Songs, Rowena Whitehead, directing the singers alongside choir leaders Kirsty Martin, Anna-Louise Lawrence, Rebecca Moulton, and Arlette Overman, The crowd were thrilled by the singing and many were taking photos and videos on their phones and cameras, applauding, and singing along as Rowena encouraged them to join the in with the songs. The energy was kept alive by Joe Shaw as he prompted a newly-dubbed ‘French Wave’ amongst the choir._medium.jpg)
The weather stayed fine and water was distributed frequently with rests taken regularly. Pride of place was given to the Cycle of Songs anthem “Why We Ride" which was energetically sung. Then, at about 12:25pm the incredible spectacle of cyclists came into sight. Alongside huge applause from the crowds the choir sang ‘Allez les Velos’ with enormous energy as the cyclists passed, generating much interest from the riders, including the winner of Stage 3 Marcel Kittel, who was photographed looking up in awe at the singers!
[Image courtesy of Kate Lamble]
The event didn’t stop as the cyclists passed. The choir sang a few more numbers as the crowds dispersed, including Queen’s ‘Bicycle Race’ and the well-known ‘Daisy Daisy’. Upon hearing this many of the public repositioned themselves closer to the singers or simply stopped to listen or sing-along too.
Finally, the event wound down and the mood was one of great achievement as people thanked each other, talked about the experience, and the positive impact of the project as a whole. The day had been an enormous success which was symbolic of the project.
It had brought together people of all ages, backgrounds, and areas of Cambridge to sing and celebrate a shared history and identity. Singers, writers, composers, choir leaders, and Cycle of Songs staff were all present.
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The online presence of the project with the recorded songs, film, app, history sources, lyrics, stories, photos will all contribute to secure the legacy of the project - but the choirs singing their bespoke songs, new professional networks amongst Cambridge institutions, and many people connecting and reconnecting with singing will continue the legacy too.
All of the team at Cycle of Songs are very appreciative of the hard work from The Fitzwilliam Museum staff who made the day such a positive experience, particularly for the children.
Also, big thanks to all in the singers from the community who joined us, and so as a heartfelt thanks to the Cycle of Songs ‘popup’ Choir, please find below a short highlight’s film of your journey in the project from Historyworks:
To view a slideshow of the photos of this event click on the slideshow below or go directly to our Flickr site by clicking here.
Throughout the Cycle of Songs project, we have had lots of support and one group in particular has accompanied us from the very start: the Searle Street Band.
Based in Cambridge and taking their name from the street where they resided as students, the Searle Street Band play jazz standards, swing, ballads and original compositions in and around the city.
The Cycle of Songs’ first experience of their musicianship was at the partnership launch on 31st March 2014. This evening was organized by Helen Weinstein the Creative Director and Producer for Cycle of Songs, and included a media and history workshop, an introduction to the project, and an opportunity to celebrate the commission with partners and artists. It took place at the Hot Numbers café on Gwydir Street and the musical accompaniment was a great addition to the evening, resulting in lots of positive feedback and another performance request.
On Friday 16thMay the Cycle of Songs organised and presented a programme of choirs, musicians, and singers for the Museums at Night event. This event was hosted by the Fitzwilliam Museum and we were granted the spectacular Gallery 3. The Searle Street Band suited the environment perfectly, with wonderful acoustics and beautiful setting, drawing in a great number of the public who stopped to spend the last 45 minutes of the event in the gallery.
The band were then invited back to perform for the Cycle of Songs Choir at the Fitzwilliam Museum for our Song Fest that took place on the 7th July, marking the arrival of the Tour de France in Cambridge.
The band were invited to play on the portico to both the choir and the hundreds of people lining Trumpington Street.
We would like to say a big thank you to the Searle Street Band for joining us on this journey and for helping to make our events memorable.
You can find out more about the Searle Street Band at the following links:
https://soundcloud.com/thesearlestreetband
https://facebook.com/TheSearleStreetBand?__tn__=C
To see photos of the band’s involvement with Cycle of Songs please click on the slideshow below:
Created with flickr slideshow.
A Storify by Pilot Theatre
One of the busiest days for the Cycle of Songs Choir took place on Saturday 5th July 2014. The Cycle of Songs Creative Director and Producer, Helen Weinsten, secured a slot back in March for the Choir to be scheduled to perform at Cambridge's Big Weekend, an event that is held annually on the well-loved area of common ground known as Parker’s Piece.
After getting the sound system and the monitors that were showing the Cycle of Songs short film set-up, Helen and Rowena gave introductions and called the choirs on stage. From 3pm until 4pm. the Cycle of Songs Pop-Up Choir, led by Rowena Whitehead, especially convened for the project, sang many of the now familiar numbers such as “Allez les Velos”, “Vela Vela”, and “Why We Ride”, to a full Main Stage Marquee.
The children from ‘The Spinney Singers’ also led the choir in a rendition of “Hobson’s Horses”, a round that has been written byHorrible Histories song writer Dave Cohen, for the project, easy for younger singers to learn by ear. Following the Spinney Singers were ‘Good Vibrations’ who led the choir and the audience in a collective singing of “Umojaho”. There was a wonderful energy and atmosphere generated in the marquee, and this was continued after the choir had finished their set, as many of the choir, the children, and the public took the opportunity to view the Cycle of Songs Film, learn about the app, and see the Cycle of Songs map artwork by Tess Ainley that was also on display.
In addition to the performance by the Cycle of Songs Choir, ‘The Dowsing Sound Collective’ were taking to the Main Stage at 4pm for their set which included the song “Reality Checkpoint – Parker’s Piece”. This song has been written, arranged, and composed by Andrea Cockerton, Choral Leader of ‘The Dowsing Sound Collective’ guided and commissioned by Helen Weinstein for the Cycle of Songs project.
It tells the history of Parker’s Piece from its purchase in 1587 to the modern day as a place of community and public gatherings. The vibrant singers and musicians drew in the crowds and the second part of the day went brilliantly as families, friends, and strangers all gathered to hear them perform.
Helen Weinstein and Marcus Romer introduced the app map to the audience from the Main stage and thanked the crowds for engaging with this important Arts project, then spent the next hour circulating in the crowds, giving out the app maps and showing families the app, entertaining youngsters with the logo non-sticky stickers!
Whilst this took place some members of the Cycle of Songs team, led by Sam Johnson and Ben Pugh, were in the main Stage Marquee sharing information about the app and the film. The film was praised by everyone that viewed it: the children, choir leaders, and singers were excited to see themselves and friends in it.
The public enjoyed it too and there was even a question from one woman about how she could join one of the choirs. You can find out more from our listing of the choirs involved in Cycle of Songs here:
http://www.cycleofsongs.org/choirs/
It was a great event, full of positivity and shared enthusiasm for the Cycle of Songs project’s ability to bring people together and celebrate shared histories and interests.
Later on that evening, between 6pm and 8:30pm, the Cycle of Songs team were invited to join the 10thannual ‘Talking in Tune Sing and Swim’ event in support of Water Aid. This took place at the Jesus Green Open Air Swimming Pool.
The day’s good weather continued into the evening, providing a pleasant atmosphere for community swimming, singing, and picnicking, as the Cycle of Songs team made a quick trip from Parker’s Piece across town to Chesterton Road, to find singers by the pool. Sam Johnson and Helen Weinstein attended along with cameraman Henri Ward, from the Cycle of Songs project, encouraging singers and their families to engage with the app and test it out! It was a great atmosphere and easy place to sit with people to show them the app on our phones and leave them with leaflets to take home.
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Our arrival coincided with the enthusiastic Milton Road Primary School pupils and their Choir Leader Anna-Louise Lawrence, who would be singing later on.
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The Cycle of Songs team set up a table with app leaflets and our logo banner, and began what was a great evening of shared songs, food and drink. ‘The Andy Bowie Jazz Quartet ‘played mellow music upon arrival as people swam and picnicked. They were also joined by Pete Towers and his Amazing and Unique Kitchen Sink Guitar, Phil Rose and Tom Ling and Jon Betmead.
Inflatable crocodiles accompanied the children and adults in the pool as the singing and music provided a wonderful soundtrack to the evening.
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After the bands the local choirs started their set. These included many of our Cycle of Songs Choirs: ‘ReSound’, ‘Good Vibrations’, ‘Milton Road Primary’ and ‘Arbury Primary School Choirs’, and singers from the ‘Cycle of Songs Choir ‘who had also made the journey across Cambridge to the second venue. Songsheets were available and the people watching were able to sing along too.
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It was a relaxed and welcoming event with everybody sharing songs and home-made food: the perfect way to end a busy day.
On Saturday 5th July 2014 Marcus Romer, Artistic Director of Pilot Theatre and the Cycle of Songs project, returned to the Cambridge 105fm studios to promote the day’s events and the project as a whole.
You can listen to the radio interview below:
Marcus began the interview by discussing the project, its various components, and the ways in which it had engaged with historical research, the creative interpretation of that research by artists and composers, community choirs and events, and its digital legacy as a free app.
He described the project’s output as “an extraordinary bespoke album for the city” before moving on to discuss how arts project like the Cycle of Songs are able to bring together and create networks of artists and communities to create something new and meaningful. We are proud, he said, that people have come together to bring to life stories about the city they live in.
Then the ‘Freedom’ track, written and composed by Inja, with choral arrangement by Rowena Whitehead, was played on air and Marcus provided some context about the piece, describing how the Creative Director and Producer for the Cycle of Songs, Helen Weinstein, has commissioned all the pieces by matchmaking the research with the artists, then the pieces with the choirs in Cambridge. Marcus spoke about the essential component of the project, being the historical research undertaken by Historyworks, and for the piece “Freedom”, what has inspired Inja to write the song is the story of Equiano and Clarkson being activists, campaigning against the slave trade in the late 1700s in Cambridge, a unique and important story which has resulted in the new track, a performance by Inja backed by a recording with Sing! Community Choir and Revelation Rock-Gospel Choir, which took place at Romsey Mill Community Centre, recorded and edited by Historyworks.
Marcus concluded the interview with an invite to listeners to come to Parker’s Piece between 3pm and 6pm to watch or get involved with the Cycle of Songs event taking place at the Big Weekend that same day, starting with the Cycle of Songs Choir singing in the Marquee from 3pm onwards, to watching The Dowsing Sound Collective representing Cycle of Songs on the Main Stage from 4pm, and testing out the app and watching the film and photograph capture of the project on screens in the Marquee for the duration of the afternoon.
To view photos taken at the recording of Freedom you can click here.
To view photos of the visit by Inja to St Johns College library with Ryan Cronin, the Press, Publicity and Communities Officer at St John’s College, to see original Abolitionist documents, you can click here.
Cambridge's Dowsing Sound Collective wowed the crowds at the Big Weekend this Saturday, with a special set to warm up the 100-strong choir for its next gig, taking place in the stunning Apex Concert Hall in Bury St Edmunds this coming Sunday (13th July).
Included in the set was one of the original pieces composed as part of the city's Cycle of Songs, a project conceived to celebrate the visit of the Tour de France to Cambridge. With words and music by the Dowsing Sound Collective's founder and musical director Andrea Cockerton, Reality Checkpoint - now available on the Cycle of Songs app - is an upbeat number detailing the history of Parker's Piece. And it was joyously interactive, as the audience on the green enthusiastically joined in with the resounding chorus.
Dowsing has a growing reputation for staging large-scale events in some of the region’s premier music venues, including Ely Cathedral, but according to Andrea, it’s the set lists and line-up which make the gigs extraordinary.
“For our Apex gig - called ‘Surround’ - we’ve crafted a set list to work specifically for the building, and will have a total of around 120 voices and instrumentalists performing, including the traditional band back line of bass, drums, keys and guitars, but stretched to include a string quartet, trumpet, Eigenharp and accordion. It’s a purposefully different gig – we’re sort of a cross between The Polyphonic Spree, The Penguin Café Orchestra and Coldplay.”
The group - made up of a mixture of experienced and first time singers, and pro and semi pro musicians - prides itself on crating set lists that surprise and challenge the audience.
For the Apex programme, it is promising original covers from bands including Katzenjammer, The Gotan Project, Asgeir and Rufus Wainwright – a continual juxtaposition of genres and moods. Dowsing will be delivering the premier live performance of its Power to the People cover (conceived in collaboration with Basement Jaxx earlier this year) and also welcoming folk band Megson - nominated for 'Best Duo' at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards three years in a row - as special guests.
And it’s all in a good cause. Profits from the gig go to supporting The Dosoco Foundation, the new musical foundation set up by the Collective to unlock the world through sound and music by funding small projects using music for social good.
Split into two gigs (so that football fans can make the earlier one!), Surround takes place at 4.30pm and 8.15pm respectively on Sunday 13th July, and each runs for 1hr30 without an interval.
Tickets are priced £16/£13 (£12/£10 concessions), with family tickets available (£50 for a group of four with a maximum of two adults), and can be booked online at The Apex box office (www.bit.ly/apexsurroundpress) or by calling 01284 758000.
To view the original article, first published on 7th July 2014, you can visit the Cambridge Network's webpage by clicking here.
Marcus Romer is not what you’d call a cycling obsessive. He has a bike which he pedals to and from the offices of Pilot Theatre in York, but he’s not one for long distance rides and has never, ever worn Lycra.
However, he knows the route the Grand Départ will take through Cambridge more intimately than most. He’s walked it, he’s cycled it and along with HistoryWorks, which designs installations for museums and galleries, he’s also used it to inspire a brand new art project.
Romer hopes Cycle of Songs will stand as a lasting legacy of the Grand Départ long after Froome, Cavendish and the rest of the riders depart for France. So how did the York director get to be at the heart of Cambridge’s Le Tour celebrations?
“While I still work in York, I moved down here with my wife three years ago,” says Romer. “When it was announced that the Grand Départ was coming over here I knew I wanted to be somehow involved in the event and I had an idea for a project where you could wander the streets listening to stories and songs inspired by the history of the place. Quite quickly I realised that there was so much planned for the Yorkshire leg of the Grand Départ that it might work better in Cambridge.”
Romer has form when it comes to these kinds of outdoor events. It was Pilot Theatre, along with Leeds-based Slung Low and York Theatre Royal, which successfully brought the First World War to the streets of York with last year’s production of Blood and Chocolate. Telling the story both of the chocolate factory workers who saw their brothers, fathers and husbands disappear to the front and how the landscape of the city changed forever as its people struggled to reconcile beliefs of conscientious objection against family loyalties, it was a triumph.
“What we learned from Blood and Chocolate is that if you take a performance out onto the streets it can really bring a city alive. York and Cambridge are very similar in that they are both historic cities, but there’s always a danger in these picturesque streets that you end up looking to the past rather than the future. Certainly I think Blood and Chocolate forced people to look at the city in a different way. Something really exciting happens when you take theatre out of traditional venues, it suddenly becomes much more accessible.”
Back in Cambridge and having secured Arts Council Funding for Cycle of Songs, Romer, along with the team at HistoryWorks began collecting largely untold stories of the city’s history inspired by the various places that the Tour will pass on Monday.
“To be honest, we were spoilt for choice,” says Romer. “But among my favourites has to be the story of Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Clarkson. Equiano, was a former enslaved African, seaman and merchant who decided that the best way of highlighting the horrors of the trade was to write his autobiography. The book was published in 1789, was a massive success and he and Clarkson, who were closely associated with St John’s College, became two of the most prominent campaigners against the transatlantic slave trade in this country. We were keen to get a mix of stories and so at the other end of the spectrum, there is the tale of Thomas Hobson, who inspired the phrase Hobson’s choice.”
Thomas ran a livery stable outside the gates of St Catherine’s College and when his horses weren’t needed he would rent them out to the students and lecturers. Perhaps unsurprisingly he found that his fastest horses were the most popular, so to prevent exhaustion he established a strict rotation system meaning customers could not take their pick of the horses, but could only hire the next one in line. It was his take it or leave it policy that became known as Hobson’s choice.
Once the nine stories had been chosen, they were given to a group of poets, writers and musicians, including children’s novelist and poet Michael Rosen, Horrible Historiescomposer Dave Cohen and spoken word artist Hollie McNish. Their challenge was to help devise nine new songs which form a Cycle of Songs trail through the city.
“There are really two sides to the project,” says Romer. “We’ve designed an app so people can download the songs and stories and listen to them through their phone. That’s really important, because they will be there forever and can be accessed by anyone, anywhere in the world. However, right from the start we were keen to involve the wider community as much as possible.”
It was another lesson he learned from Blood and Chocolate which was performed by a large community cast, with volunteers also manning every department behind the scenes.
“We have sent the songs out to the city’s choirs and today hundreds of singers will officially launch the app with a live performance. You can feel the momentum building. We’ll all be watching the Tour as it passes through Yorkshire, but once it has we will be ready to take the baton here in Cambridge.”
To view the article on the Yorkshire Post website, first published on 5th July 2014, click here.
A Storify by Pilot Theatre from 4th July 2014.
Saturday 21st June was promoted as the Cycle of Songs formal “Pop-up Choir” event, but in fact what all the singers had been working towards, was not only singing in public, but performing as a flash-mob to surprise those in Cambridge market space between 12:30 and 1pm outside the Guildhall. It was great fun and included sticker action!
The day started early with Marcus Romer visiting BBC Radio Cambridgeshire to describe the Cycle of Songs project to audiences, and to hint about the planned ‘popup’ choir event that was set to happen at around 12:30pm that day. You can listen to this below.
The Cycle of Songs team arrived at the Guildhall at 10am to set-up and greet the choir members. The Creative Director and Producer for Cycle of Songs, Helen Weinstein, had also visited stall holders on the market, to prepare them for the singing event, to ensure the surprise moves would be supported by the market traders. The Spinney Singers were the first to arrive, followed steadily by an increasing number of individuals that have come together to make up the Cycle of Songs Choir. It was wonderful to have even more members of the youth group ‘Ten Sing’ join the event, with their numbers swelling to 30 participants.
The Guildhall’s Large Hall was soon hosting carers and singers, with over 100-strong choir, all prepped and ready to begin a rehearsal led by Rowena Whitehead, Kirsty Martin, and Marcus Romer. Helen and Sam set out the usual refreshment jugs and cups to keep those arriving on their bikes lubricated on such a hot day! Marcus began the rehearsal by continuing the work he had done at previous sessions in the Cambridge Junction and at the Music Faculty on West Road, choreographing the singers for what would be the flash-mob, created to surprise the lunchtime shoppers in Cambridge market.
Following the practice of their movements and behaviours leading up to the singing, Rowena and Kirsty worked with the choir to polish the songs they have been rehearsing for three weeks, ‘Vela Vela’ and ‘Why We Ride’. ‘Why We Ride’ is a piece Rowena and Kirsty have co-composed for the project. You can listen to the song below:
The sound of singing wasn’t the only music being played that day as partnering organisation CaMEO’s Joe Shaw was leading a rehearsal for a boisterous ‘big band’ brass event. This provided an interesting soundtrack to the quieter moments of the rehearsal in the adjacent room at the Guildhall, but because we had carefully timed breaks between the muscial groups, the two rehearsals were able to practice alongside each other despite a little bit of noisy overlap!
During the rehearsal, Helen Weinstein was directing the cameras to capture the events in stills and footage. In addition, Cambridge 105fm was hosted in the Large Hall to play live to audiences the wonderful rendition of ‘Why We Ride” and conducted a lengthy interview with Helen about the historical inspiration for the songs and to describe the diversity of the artists and singing participants involved with Cycle of Songs this year, whilst Marcus followed up with a description about the choreography and non-sticky logos involved in the performance today._medium.jpg)
As the Cycle of Songs rehearsal was brought to a close and the choir were preparing for the flash-mob, the photographer working with the Historyworks crew, Martin Bond, took the opportunity to take some group photos of the entire popup choir. You can find a top picture that captured the popup choir and more photos from all of our rehearsals and events on our Flickr Group here.
The choir members then made their way out of the Guildhall and dispersed around the market and throughout all of the stalls, mixing with the public. With no indication of anything slightly unusual happening, a bicycle bell could be heard amongst the Saturday shoppers. Emerging from the crowd was Tizzy Faller, Cycle of Songs Choir member who is Assistant Outreach Officer at the Cambridge University Music Faculty Education & Outreach, CaMEO. She was riding a distinctively decorated Beano special edition of the Raleigh Chopper.
As Tizzy cycled around ringing the bell she started to elicit looks, confusion, and interest from the public. Then she waived and stopped amongst the crowd. She stepped from off the bike, put it on its stand, and took a Cycle of Songs sticker from her pocket and placed it on the Cambridge map, a large sign piece of street furniture adjacent to the Guildhall. She began singing ‘Vela Vela’ with two other singers quickly flanking her and joining in. Suddenly a rush of enthused Spinney Choir children ran to put stickers on the map too, joined by young people from Ten Sing. They were followed by a mass of other singers doing the same and soon over a hundred singers all stood together on the corner of Peas Hill singing in unison to a delighted group of supporters and passers-by.
The Cycle of Songs choir joyfully performed ‘Why We Ride’ to a growing crowd that were capturing the surprising moment with cameras and phones. A great round of applause was given when the song was finished. The choir slipped away and split up, only to reform 15 minutes later on King’s Parade for a second surprise performance. For this one, Tizzy arrived with choir members from Sing! & Ten Sing, accompanied by a shiny blue tandem, much to the delight of all in the choir. An equally impressive rendition was given and it proved to be a truly remarkable experience for all involved and all those witnessing the event.
After a round of photography, the choir members were all invited by Producer, Helen Weinstein, to have refreshments set up ready in the grounds of Great St Mary’s Church by Sam Johnson, with ever useful help from Stewart the Verger. The early afternoon was spent in animated conversation around the refreshment table, relaxing and reflecting on the event and the rehearsals that had got them there. The hard work and enthusiasm of all involved throughout the process, singers and staff, ensured that this was a wonderful day and a great success.
To read about the event you can visit the Cambridge News website for their coverage of the event, including a slideshow. To access this click here.
A unique vocal treat by Cambridge’s leading choirs hit the city centre on Saturday to celebrate the impending arrival of the Tour de France.
Gathering at the city’s Guildhall, up to 100 singers from 14 of Cambridge’s choirs took part in a spontaneous singing session.
Forming part of The Cycle of Songs project, the event featured a singing workshop for residents to get involved with and a performance of nine specially-composed songs.
Commissioned by Cambridge City Council and funded by the Arts Council of England, The Cycle of Songs project is inspired by iconic locations along the route of the race
The songs sung at the event also on a geo-located app which will allow people to listen to the Cycle of Songs as they follow the Tour’s route through Cambridge.
Stage three of the Tour will come to Cambridge in two weeks today.
You can read the original article and accompanying slideshow via the Cambridge News website.
On 19th June 2014 the Cycle of Songs project returned to the BBC Radio Cambridgeshire studios, led this time by Inja, one of the lynchpin composers and performers. Inja, writer and performer of the piece entitled 'Freedom', met with Sue Dougan to discuss his involvement with Cycle of Songs, the next stages of the project, and some of the remarkable experiences he has had throughout the process.
To hear Inja talking with Sue Dougan you can listen below:
Inja spoke about how the project has turned him into a rapper/historian after being given the opportunity to learn about and creatively interpret largely unknown histories, as Sue Dougan articulated, the project "has set off a massive wave of cultural engagement in Cambridgeshire" and with the focus on locations and their stories it is being embraced and celebrated for being, as Sue aptly says, "so uniquely cultural and so uniquely Cambridge".
This was certainly the case for Inja who remembers being contacted by the project by the Creative Director and Producer, Helen Weinstein who asked if he would be involved in the historical research element that has been the foundation building block of all the stories, poetry, and songmaking. As Inja explained, it was remarkable that as a son of the city, and a black son of the city, he had no previous knowledge of how integral Cambridge, particularly two of its citizens, Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Clarkson, had been in campaigning against the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Inja was given about forty pages of historical research to digest by Historyworks which he really valued, as engaging with a history of which he is a part of, as "a great great grandchild of the Slave Trade", is therefore really important to him.
Indeed, the project gave him the opportunity to go with the historian leading the project, Helen Weinstein, on a visit St John's College Library at the University of Cambridge and to have a private viewing Helen had organized to examine some of the original primary documentation connected to the campaign to Abolish the Slave Trade. They met with Ryan Cronin, Press, Publicity and Communities Officer at the College, who is integral to a schools' programme on Slavery and Abolition at the College. The introduction of the rapper to these important documents at the College has sown the seeds for potential future collaborations between Inja and the College's schools engagement programme.
Inja also spoke about the piece he has composed and written about the Abolition campaigners, which is a rap scored for choir too, which interweaves the historical facts and his own personal experiences in Cambridge, and he went on to then describe the recording with Sing! Community Choir and the Revelation Rock-Gospel Choir at the Romsey Mill, in the Community Centre's fantastic community hall. The rapper spoke about the emotional response he had when he arrived at the recording for his Freedom track and heard the choirs "really bringing it to life."
"Recording it with them was a really emotional experience for me. The power of all of their voices live - wow - I walked into a room and they were practicising it, and I was blown back by it in the happiest, most joyous way possible."
A clip of the pre-mix of Freedom was played on-air and was greeted with positive responses from Sue and audience members who contacted the BBC Cambs station. They discussed some of the other venues and historical stories that have inspired the Cycle of Songs commisions, such as cricketing on Parker's Piece, drawing attention to the hundreds of individuals and choirs that the Cycle of Songs project has brought together in song to celebrate Cambridge's heritage and the arrival of the Tour de France.
If you would like to find out more about Inja - you can click here.
If you would like to find out more about the song 'Freedom' and listen to the pre-mix track - you can click here.
If you would like to find out more about the project you can visit our events page at http://www.cycleofsongs.org/events/
The Cycle of Songs producer, Helen Weinstein, would like to thank Ryan Cronin for facilitating the visit to see and learn about the Abolition manuscripts and printed works at St John's and to credit for photography 'By permission of the Masters and Fellows of St John's College, Cambridge'.
On Wednesday 11th June 2014 the Cambridge Junction hosted the second Cycle of Songs Choir rehearsal. It proved to be another evening of wonderful performances with equally good weather, allowing us to make the most of the sunshine and sing outside.
The choir and the public were treated to a pre-rehearsal performance by The Spinney Singers who joined the Cycle of Songs project for a second time, following their involvement at the Museums at Night event on Friday 16th May. They jumped for joy in their red outfits and sang enthusiastically under the leadership of their choir teacher, Arlette Overman, and their pianist, James Ingram.
They kicked off the evening, welcoming the Cycle of Songs Choir by singing outside the building. Creative Director and Producer for Cycle of Songs, Helen Weinstein, has organized for a weclcoming performance at the start of every rehearsal, scheduled to give transformative experiences to the musicians as they perform and are filmed in new spaces. The youngsters were superb, including a premiere of the Hobson’s Choice Round, written especially for Cycle of Songs by the comedian, Dave Cohen, writer for Horrible Histories. They then assisted the crowd and the Cycle of Songs Choir in learning the round, who followed suit and all were soon singing the playful piece that celebrates the Cambridge philanthropist Thomas Hobson & his careful rental of horses, whom Milton the poet immortalized in verse.
After the lovely welcome, the Cycle of Songs Choir set-up up in J1 and settled back into the saddle to practice ‘Why We Ride’. With plenty of water on hand, fans switched on, doors open, and the Choir Director, Rowena Whitehead guiding them, the singers were soon in full flow and making great progress. The choir were learning their parts and having fun with the wonderful words that take you around the Cambridge streets, on a tour to the places and feelings of freedom found in cycling.
Due to the pleasant weather, the Choir took the opportunity to sing outside as it was a bit packed with about ninety choir members. Creative Director and Producer, Helen Weinstein, suggested a break to sing outside by the bikes – so the singers made their way to the front of the Cambridge Junction for an impromptu performance of “Why We Ride” for the public. It was useful to get a feel for singing outside, and it was a cheery sight to have a large choir singing to audiences flowing in and out of the nearby leisure places. It also provided a useful opportunity to film outside too!
Our next offer, for performers to share their musicianship and love of singing, was that the teen group “Ten Sing” had emailed Helen during the week asking if they could sing to the Cycle of Songs Choir. They set up with the Cycle of Songs banner outside J1, and gave a gutsy performance showcasing remarkable soloists and confident singing outside, setting the bar high for all our singers!
Marcus Romer was the next to take his turn at leading at this Cycle of Songs rehearsal by taking the Choir members into the black box space of J1. It was a bit disorientating going from light to dark, but with the performance lights up, Marcus soon started to arrange the singers as if they were in Cambridge market square, learning how to follow the leader and have some fun with body language!
The Cambridge Junction provided a wonderful location for the choir to sing, both indoors and outdoors. It proved to be a perfect venue for different groups to share songs with each other and with the public.
To learn more about the Spinney Singers you can click here
To learn more about Cambridge Ten Sing you can click here
To learn more about Thomas Hobson and read the Rounds by Dave Cohen you can click here
To learn more and to listen to ‘Why We Ride’ you can click here
To visit the Cycle of Songs Flickr group where you can find all of our photos you can click here. To find images that relate directly to this rehearsal you can search for the following tags - Rehearsal2, CambridgeJunction, Spinney, and TenSing
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Leading musicians to celebrate visit of Tour de France with innovative Cycle of Songs project
This year’s visit of the Tour de France to Cambridge in July will be marked by an innovative and inspiring major new piece of work entitled The Cycle of Songs. Devised by the acclaimed Yorkshire theatre company Pilot Theatre with the Cambridge based Historyworks the project will feature new compositions performed by Cambridge’s choirs by leading musicians, writers, poets and composers including Michael Berkeley, Karen Wimhurst, Michael Rosen, Kirtsty Martin and Andrea Cockerton.
Commissioned by Cambridge City Council and funded by the Arts Council of England, The Cycle of Songs will be performed by local people, musicians and community choirs from Cambridge, inspired by iconic locations along the route of the race drawing on the city’s rich choral traditions and history.
The works will tell largely untold hidden stories from Cambridge’s history, and will be performed by choirs from the city in a series of live events and in a new geo-located app as part of the lead up to the celebrations for Stage 3 on the 7 July.
The Cycle of Songs project will also see the creation of a new app; a development that brings together Cambridge's rich cultural and cycling heritage with the technology that is so important to the City today. Available at the launch of the Big Weekend on the 5th of July, the geo-located app will allow people to listen to the Cycle of Songs as they follow the Tour's route through Cambridge.
All the stories have been researched and developed by the Creative Director and Producer, helen Weinstein of Historyworks, and presented to the project’s writers, rappers and poets who include Michael Rosen, Horrible Histories composer Dave Cohen, rapper Inja, and poet and spoken word artist Hollie McNish. Each writer has further developed a researched story and created the librettos that have been given to the project’s composers and arrangers.
All of the nine songs featured in the project are based on stories inspired by iconic locations which the Tour de France will cycle past on the 7th July. These include the song "Freedom" which tells the story of Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Clarkson, two of the most prominent campaigners against the Transatlantic Slave Trade, who are both associated with St John’s College; "Unsung Women" (which will be performed by the Women of Note choir), a song about the struggle for women to be accepted at Cambridge University in the late 19th and early 20th century; and "Hooray for Hobson", the story of the Cambridge Philanthropist Thomas Hobson whose Horse rental policy inspired the phrase 'Hobson’s Choice'.
The Composers are wide ranging both culturally and stylistically, including elders from the British tradition, such as Michael Berkeley, and young musicians exploring sound technologies, such as Peter Gregson; composers adept at creating community choir anthems such as Karen Wimhurst, Rowena Whitehead, and Kirsty Martin; and finally young artists from the Aldeburgh Young Musicians programme(AYM), such as Alex Cook who has composed for Hannah Brock, a fellow AYM, who will be performing the traditional Chinese instrument – a Guz-heng, a cross between a harp and a Zither, for which Alex Crook has underscored the vocals.
The Cycle of Songs Choir events involve more than 14 of the city’s leading choirs, including a vibrant mix of community and school choirs, college and youth group choirs. These will include the 120 members strongThe Dowsing Sounding Collective, who are renowned for performing Scandinavian soundscapes and club anthems; then a vibrant community choir who sing a cappella called Re Sound;Chela, a choral ensemble dedicated to the learning of the unique choral tradition of Georgia;Milton Road Primary Choir, which has over 100 primary voices who will be singing with the famous King's College Choir Choristers; and the youth choirs of Ten Sing and Shout Aloud!The project will also feature the specially formed Cycle of Songs choir which is made up of members of the public, who are rehearsing to sing to the public in public! Not all choirs involved in the events will feature on the app
Leading up to the visit of the Tour de France there will be a series of Cycle of Songs events around Cambridge including on Saturday 21st June a Pop-up Choir event, where many of choirs that feature in the Cycle of Songs project, including the community formed Cycle of Songs choir, will be performing in the city’s Guildhall, and on Saturday 5th July hundreds of singers, including the acclaimed Dowsing Sound Collective, will feature on the main stage at the city’s Big Weekend event. The Cycle of Songs app will also be publicly launched at the event too, in a special marquee.
Cambridge is regarded as one of the UK’s leading cities for cycling with an incredible 43% of the city’s population travelling to work by bike more than three times a week. The city boasts over 80 miles of cycle lanes & routes offering a quick & easy way to travel throughout the city, whilst cutting down on the population’s carbon footprint.
For further information on Cycle of Songs visit www.cycleofsongs.org
If you would like a complete press release you can download a PDF here.
Wednesday 4th June 2014 marked the first rehearsal for the Cycle of Songs Community Choir. The Cycle of Songs Choir is a free and open-to-all choir that has been set up to give people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to sing together and celebrate the arrival of the Tour de France in Cambridge, and to offer an opportunity often missing in Cambridge, to be able to sing together as a family too.
The Choir rehearses for three sessions on Wednesday evenings (4th, 11th, 18th June) from 7.00pm - 8.30pm at various venues across Cambridge to learn songs specially composed for this project, with each rehearsal starting with a performance at 6.30pm by a collaborating choir, poet, composer or musician to welcome the singers to the venue and to share and showcase the talent involved in the project.
The first of the rehearsals took place at Kettle’s Yard gallery and house, offering the singers a unique and rare experience to sing in one of the city’s most remarkable spaces. You can see from the pictures that the performers enjoyed interacting with the art objects in this special space.
The evening began with two Cycle of Songs collaborating musicians working closely with Helen Weinstein, the Creative Director and Producer for Cycle of Songs who had organized for their rehearsing a piece that they will be recording for the Cycle of Songs project, entitled ‘To Seek a Dream’. Alex Cook, composer of the piece, settled himself at the piano and Hannah Brock, musician, prepared her Gu zheng, an ancient Chinese instrument, and Cello, surrounded by some of the twentieth century’s most beautiful artworks. Here is a photo of Hannah and Alex taking a break between rehearsal and performance to pose for photos amongst the sculpture:
Following a rehearsal between Hannah and Alex, the choir members gradually arrived and filled the ground floor of Kettle’s Yard. As they entered they were greeted with some choice pieces performed individually, Alex playing a moving piece he has composed for piano inspired by the true story of Anka, a survivor of the Holocaust; and Hannah performing a remarkable rhythmic piece called “Dream” on the Gu zheng which she described to the singers as a kind of Chinese Zither. After a wonderful half hour set which mesmerized those listening, the pair packed up their instruments and scores, allowing the Cycle of Songs Choir to begin their rehearsal in the gallery space.
After some introductions from Helen Weinstein and Marcus Romer the evening was led by Rowena Whitehead, the Choral Leader for Cycle of Songs. She welcomed everyone and warmed them up with vocal exercises, and then proceeded to get all 60 members of the choir to sing in harmony with a piece she’d taught the crowds at the Cycle of Songs launch event in May, an African song entitled ‘Vela Vela’.
The room was packed with singers, put at their ease by Rowena, so relaxed, happy, and ready to learn the Cycle of Songs anthem, ‘Why We Ride’. This song is composed by Kirsty Martin and Rowena Whitehead and is based on a poem of the same name by Hollie McNish with the rapper and poet Inja.
It wasn’t long before the choir had achieved an impressive understanding and performance of the song. They even had some extra fun singing it to each other from the balcony above, exploring some of the wonderful spaces throughout gallery. It was good to circulate to create a sense of listening across the parts and to play with the unusual space. Of course, it also created some great photographs too, having the singers divided across the levels of the gallery in song, and we have these grouped in the Flickr site where you can search for them via “Kettles’s Yard”.
The evening concluded with a round of applause and some great progress having being made, as well as lots of enjoyment.
The Cycle of Songs Choir had been launched in a fantastic venue, giving many people the opportunity to sing in a space that had originally been designed to display artwork and accommodate musical recitals. Also, experiencing the leadership of Rowena Whitehead, such a dynamic and careful choir leader, was appreciated by all who were there!
The event also marked the first time that many people attending had sang in a choir, the first time that many had been in Kettle’s Yard, and it brought many friends and generations into a space to sing together and celebrate the city’s heritage and the vibrancy of its present.
To learn more about the musicians Alex Cook and Hannah Brock, and the piece ‘To Seek a Dream’ you can click here
To learn more and to listen to ‘Why We Ride’ you can click here
To visit the Cycle of Songs Flickr group where you can find all of our photos from this rehearsal you can click here. To find images from this rehearsal, search within the group for Rehearsal1 or Kettle's Yard.
Cambridge has a wonderful project to celebrate the unique history and tradition of song in the city, and welcome the Tour de France Stage 3 taking place on 7 July.
By organising opportunities for communities to get together to participate, by researching and sharing stories, by listening to singers and learning to sing, by opening doors so that musicians and poets of all ages can be sharing their voice, Cambridge will be celebrating the city in song and welcoming the Tour de France.
An innovative and inspiring project - Cycle of Songs - created by Pilot Theatre and Historyworks and funded by the Arts Council England is taking place in the weeks leading up to the 7th July at various venues across Cambridge to celebrate the start of the Tour de France Stage 3. Showcasing and celebrating Cambridge’s singing talent and diversity, what is distinctive about the Cycle of Songs project is that it is also encouraging people who have never sung before to join a special Cycle of Songs choir to learn how to use their voices to join in celebrating the city, and to participate in fun ‘popup choir’ events during June and July.
The Cycle of Songs will feature a collection of songs which Helen Weinstein, the producer, is developing with local choirs, schools, artists and members of the community in collaboration with some of the city’s leading composers, historians, poets and musicians. All of the songs are based on original source materials about Cambridge researched by Helen and her team, many telling hidden stories from the city’s history to celebrate the quirky and inspirational characters and creatives from the past in the present. These stories are the inspiration for new pieces, with lyrics and melodies commissioned for the choirs in Cambridge to rehearse and record.
The Cycle of Songs project goes into recording phase in June to create a free app of the nine commissioned sound poems and songs, that will be launched on the 5th July at the Big Weekend on Parker’s Piece as part of celebrations for the Tour de France Stage 3, enabling people to hear a great repertoire of songs alongside summaries of the stories that inspired them along the route, and providing a lasting digital legacy for Cambridge.
For further information on how you can get involved in the Cycle of Songs project please visit
www.cycleofsongs.org or email cycleofsongs@gmail.com
You can view the original post at the Le Tour Yorkshire website
The Cycle of Songs project has had a fantastic experience kicking off the rehearsal and recording phase for the new compositions of nine songs developed by leading composers, writers, and poets.
What is special about the nine pieces is that they have all been identified and shaped by the Creative Director and Producer, Helen Weinstein, and are all based on original research carried out in Cambridge University and Cambridgeshire Local History archives. It was this research feature of the works that was really appreciated by those from the choir, called The Dowsing Sound Collective, who gathered for the first recording session on Sunday 1st June.
The Dowsing Sound Collective are an impressive musical collective of 120 voices and 20 instrumentalists made up of singers and musicians from in and around Cambridge - and they rehearsed and recorded a song entitled "Reality Checkpoint" about Parker’s Piece - and very aptly they will also perform this song when they represent the Cycle of Songs public launch at the live event on the 5th July, when they sing from the Main Stage at the Big Weekend on Parker’s Piece.
After some setting-up, signing-in, and saying hello to each other the choir members steadily filled the school hall with an increasing energy. They began their rehearsal as the Historyworks production team ran cables and stationed themselves to document the event through footage, stills photography, and sound recordings.
Very soon the hall rang out with the singing and music of the choir and their band, and after a few warm-up songs they started to sing the Cycle of Songs composition, "Reality Checkpoint – Parker’s Piece" which celebrates the history of one of the city’s most loved public spaces, and explains that the land is named after a college cook, called Edward Parker. This piece was written, arranged, and composed by Andrea Cockerton, Choir Director of Dowsing Sound Collective, and was developed collaboratively with Helen Weinstein, the Creative Director and Producer of Cycle of Songs, because the lyrics of the song are based on research led by Historyworks about the history of the land, the games and community activities played on Parker’s Piece from the seventeenth- century to the present day.
The choir clearly took delight in voicing some of the city’s largely unknown stories and in the celebration of a place that most Cambridge people are familiar with, and chuckled along to lyrics about “treacle” and "mustard" for feasts plus “sticky wickets" and "smashed for 6" for cricketers.
Footage and photography from the afternoon rehearsal display how animated and enjoyable the day was for both choir, band, and production team. The recording session culminated in a playback of the final take, and as each of the soloists’ parts were played there were great rounds of applause.
It was a communal and celebratory event that saw the Dowsing Sound Collective bring to life the historical research upon which the lyrics for "Reality Checkpoint - Parker’s Piece" are based, establishing a creative and vibrant relationship between Cambridge’s past and present.
The Dowsing Sound Collective, will next perform this piece live when they sing at 4pm on the Main Stage at Cambridge's 'Big Weekend' to celebrate the Cycle of Songs in the city as part of the launch for the free mobile phone app on 5th July that is being produced to accompany the project by showcasing all the songs, marking the route of the Tour de France when it visits Cambridge.
To see photos from the event you can view our Flickr group here. Search for Dowsing Sound Collective within the group to find the relevant images.
To find out more about the composition "Reality Checkpoint - Parker’s Piece" you can click here
To find out more about the Cycle of Songs event at the Big Weekend on 5th July 2014 you can click here
To find out more about Andrea Cockerton you can click here
To find out more about Dowsing Sound Collective you can click here
Following on from Helen Weinstein’s visit to BBC Radio Cambridgeshire on Saturday 10th May to discuss the launch of Cycle of Songs, Rowena Whitehead, Choral Leader for Cycle of Songs, returned to the BBC Radio Cambridgeshire studios to appear on Sue Dougan’s afternoon programme on Tuesday 20th May 2014.
To hear a section of Rowena talking with Sue Dougan you can listen below:
Rowena spoke about the various aspects of the project, covering the history behind the commissioned songs, the range of artists involved, the mobile phone app, the Cycle of Songs Choir and the ways in which the project facilitates a wonderful opportunity for communities to come together to celebrate the identity of Cambridge and its citizens.
“there are songs of all sorts of different styles…and what is really interesting about it is that we learn a bit more about the place we live in, our own cultural heritage and the stories behind it.”
Sue Dougan, suggesting that the Cycle of Songs project will itself become part of Cambridge’s history, moved the discussion on to the legacy of the project. People will be able to go on listening to songs after the Tour de France has left, Rowena said, as the app will enable people to listen to the recorded pieces as they enter the streets and locations where the stories that inspired them are set. You can also use the app remotely so you don’t have to walk the route to hear the songs. For more information about the app you can go here.
Rowena then reminded listeners that the Cycle of Songs Choir that will be performing at various venues across Cambridge this summer is free and open to people of all ages and abilities:
“Anybody can do it! If they go onto the cycleofsongs.org website everybody is welcome: people who love to sing; people who aren’t very confident about their voices but think they’d like to give it a try. There’s no solos. It’s singing as part of a big community group, the songs are also on the website so people can listen to them and learn the parts, and everything is learnt by ear so you don’t have to read music either. The idea is to have a darn big community sing”.
If you would like to find out more about the project you can visit our events page at http://www.cycleofsongs.org/events/
You can also sign-up to become part of the Cycle of Songs Choir via http://www.cycleofsongs.org/sign_up/
For details of the full programme you can find them via the BBC iPlayer
On Friday 16th May 2014 the Cycle of Songs project took part in a wonderful event at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Cycle of Songs was invited as part of the Fitzwilliam Museum’s Museums at Night programme, an initiative that aims to encourage visitors into museums, galleries and heritage sites by allowing the public after-hours access and by arranging special evening events.
The Creative Director and Producer for Cycle of Songs, Helen Weinstein, organized for a range of choirs and musicians to participate, and was supported on the night by colleagues Marcus Romer, Sam Johnson, and Rowena Whitehead for a wonderful programme of singers and musicians to perform from 5:30pm to 8:30pm in Gallery 3.
The evening started with the energetic and enthusiastic singing, dancing, and ukulele playing Spinney Singers. The Spinney Singers are a primary choir made up of children from the Spinney School, Cherry Hinton, and are led by Arlette Overman with James Ingram on piano.
[Image courtesy of Martin Bond]
The next performer was Hannah Brock. Hannah is an award-winning musician who plays an ancient Chinese instrument called a Gu zheng. At the age of 14 she is already an impressive and accomplished musician and she provided the people present with a fascinating introduction to her instrument before playing her set. Hannah’s participation in Cycle of Songs extends to a commission to play the Gu zheng on a piece entitled ‘To Seek a Dream’ by Alex Cook, composer and musician. This piece will be recorded and available to listen to on our mobile phone app. The app will be available for free and will be downloadable on iOS and Android at the beginning of July. You can find out more about that here.
Alex was also our next performer in the programme. After an introduction he sat down to play a number of pieces at the piano, one of which was inspired by the true story of Anka Bergman, a Holocaust survivor who gave birth to her daughter, Eva, in Mauthausen Concentration Camp. You can listen to this piece and others on Alex’s Bandcamp page.
[Image courtesy of Martin Bond]
After a brief interval Chela the Cambridge Georgian Choir rejoined Cycle of Songs for a second time, following on from their involvement in the launch at Great St Mary’s Church on Sunday 11th May, to entertain a full room of spectators with their remarkable traditional Georgian singing.
The room was then treated to a performance by ReSound, led by Cycle of Songs Choral Leader Rowena Whitehead. It was wonderful to have ReSound fill the room with energy and an inclusive spirit as the audience were invited to join in on their rendition of Moon River.
[Image courtesy of Martin Bond]
The evening was brought to a close by the wonderful Searle Street Band who played a mix of jazz numbers and original compositions. With the remarkable acoustics in Gallery 3 the band and vocalist sounded fantastic, and audience members soon took to posting photos and videos of them on Twitter. You can hear some of their music by visiting their Soundcloud page.
It was a great evening with approximately 300 members of the public spending time in Gallery 3, all experiencing the unique collection of performers that the Cycle of Songs project had brought together. There was lots of positive feedback from performers, museum staff, and members of the public and we are very thankful to all the musicians and singers that helped make our second public event such a success.
[Image courtesy of Martin Bond]
If you would like to find out more about the choirs and musicians that participated you can visit our Choirs page.
You can also find out about other Cycle of Songs events and the ways you can be involved by going to our events and sign-up pages.
On the 11th May 2014 the Cycle of Songs Project was launched at Great St Mary's Church, Cambridge, with a mix of community choirs, church choirs, musicians, dancers, and the public. The Creative Director and Producer for Cycle of Songs, Helen Weinstein, had spent over three months contacting and meeting with a wide range of choirs and musician groups, creating a network of participants, developing from the base of community choirs already known to the Cycle of Songs Choir Director, Rowena Whitehead. It was an enormous success to be asking choirs and musicians to perform to one another, as this type of sharing of voices between singers rarely happens at concerts organized in Cambridge, an opportunity that the singers clearly reilished, to come together as one voice. This video is a compilation of footage captured on the day, mixed with footage of everybody at the launch singing a traditional South African song in Xhosa entitled 'Vela Vela' which contains lyrics that translate as 'Come let us see you. We are harmony.' This was taught to everybody on the day by Rowena Whitehead, Choral Leader for the Cycle of Songs project.
For more information about the project and all our events, please visit cycleofsongs.org
Following the launch of Cycle of Songs on Sunday 11th May at Great St Mary’s Church we asked people who had experienced the event what they thought of the afternoon and what their relationship to singing is. These are some of their answers:
“I enjoyed the mood of all the singers, the audience, the beautiful church, and the fact that all the songs are so different - the different cultures: Indian, Georgian, South African and even some pop songs. Everybody is enjoying themselves. And for me it’s also meant meeting old friends that I haven’t met for two or three years. It’s lovely for choirs to see other choirs. That’s what I really liked about it today…It was so, so Cambridge.”
Bruce from Good Vibrations
“I’ve always sung, it’s a fantastic way of communicating. It’s a lovely thing to share with other people and for me it lifts my spirits hugely… to have so many people singing to one another is absolutely fantastic, really wonderful. So many different groups coming together sharing songs together and learning songs together. To be able to sing in a space like this is very special – lovely, lovely resonant places. I think the potential with the pop-up choir that’s going to rehearse in lots of different spaces is really exciting.”
Sylvia from ReSound
“It was terrific to see so many people in the church. The church was full to overflowing with a tremendous atmosphere of celebration and joy. There was a great variety of music – everybody enjoying the different styles. It was lovely to have some music by choirs who don’t read music and so drawing in a whole lot of people who love to sing for the joy of it but maybe don’t have a musical background. That was a great thrill to see. There was such a wide range of people participating in the event and clearly enjoying it – it was wonderful at the end when we all sang together. I thought it was just a great afternoon and lovely that you were all here…Memorable in every way, a great joy. These are great events to join, come along and have the joy of singing, be part of it.
Here at Great St Mary’s Church we’re very much gearing up for the Tour de France day as we’re right in the centre – lots going on. A big tea party is planned and we’re going to welcome everybody to come and join and celebrate this tremendous epic day when the Tour de France comes here.”
Margaret Johnston, Great St Mary’s Church
“It was a very inspiring event, extremely well organised and a lot of fun. I came here with my mother who is disabled and she enjoyed it. It was great to see people from all ages and backgrounds having fun…I love singing, it’s part of my life.”
Audience Member
“It was really lovely. The children really enjoyed performing and they were really active – going around the whole place and the audience were connecting to them. It was nice for them to increase their confidence to be with people and to perform in front of such a big audience.
The reason why we set up this Indian Music and Dance School was to give the children a little bit of their own culture because we are so far from India but at the same time we are looking for them to be a little bit more cosmopolitan. Participating in events like this means they get the best of both so it was really, really nice for us today.”
Swati Ogale, Sur Taal Indian Music and Dance
“[Singing] is just wonderful, it really is lovely singing with everybody. I love performing and making music with everybody else. It’s very uplifting and it’s an essential part of life…The event was great fun. It was really lovely singing with everybody and taking part in something. Hopefully it will encourage people to join in and sing with one another because it’s a very basic and wonderful human thing. Dancing and singing, we don’t do enough of it.
We were singing to one another and we were singing to people who had just wandered in off the street and I thought that was lovely. It was a way of connecting with people. I just loved that there were all types of age groups and types of choirs… I intend to join in at any other events like it.”
Audience Member
“Singing means freedom to me and bringing people together to create more than what you could do by yourself. Dowsing is a really interesting concept because it brings together people from all walks of life and levels of experience in singing. We’re all stretched beyond what we thought we were capable of doing…We wanted to join in the Cycle of Songs project because it’s all about community singing and it brings lots and lots of different groups together. It’s a great opportunity for Cambridge to learn what else is out there. They might know of one group but they may not know of all the other people out there singing and how they can get involved…It was great fun. It was a packed church with lots of people singing. It was a really good and exciting atmosphere.
Andrea Cockerton, Dowsing Sound Collective
“The event was inspiring. I hope it inspired lots of other people to sing. I felt really great just listening to the other choirs and feeling a sense of heart. A lot of what we do at Dowsing is about heart and it was really good to hear other choirs with that same kind of heart and spirit. It was lovely.
What singing means to me is about being myself and the freedom to be anyone I want - I can try all sorts of different emotions and expressions of different cultures. Singing in something like this is like being part of being the bigger whole. It doesn’t matter how good you are or how bad you are as everybody is supporting each other and it’s a great feeling.”
Nina Lucking, Dowsing Sound Collective
“Today’s event was uplifting, certainly inspiring, and I got a massive buzz afterwards. I’m quite excitable anyway so after a singing session I get a great big buzz. Inspiring is the word I’d use. It’s nice to be part of a group as you get to talk to people beforehand and afterwards. It’s community and you always feel welcome - which for someone who is new to it or interested in it you want to feel like you’re welcome. It’s great to be part of it…We have our normal group on Tuesdays but on Wednesdays we’re going to hopefully sing at the Cycle of Songs Choir rehearsals.
If singing is something you like to do but are apprehensive just come along and try it and you’ll be hooked, as I was.”
Mac, ReSound
“Well this afternoon was a wonderful gathering of people in Cambridge who like to sing. We’ve had about seven choirs and lots of people came in who don’t sing in choirs but were interested in finding out about what we do. I think it was a lovely celebration of the fact that when you get people together who like singing and you give them the opportunity to sing together you get something that is far greater than the sum of all the parts. There is a sense of real connectedness and community. In my work as a singing leader that is what I seek to create when I sing with people – that sense that everybody has got a voice and if we share our voices we listen to each other and we connect. It’s good for individuals and it’s good for communities.
The Cycle of Songs Pop-up Choir is going to meet for three sessions in June – Wednesday 4th, 11thand 18th– from 7pm to 8:30pm, and I’m going to be leading it. It’s open to anybody who wants to come along who likes the idea of singing, even if they don’t do much singing. We’re going to sing a selection of songs that have been commissioned for the Cycle of Songs project. There is one particular song that is about cycling and the different parts of Cambridge that the Tour de France is going to pass through. All we need is people who are keen to sing and keen to meet other people. We’ll be meeting in three different venues – Kettle’s Yard, the Cambridge Junction, and West Road Concert Hall – so we’ll be singing in three wonderful locations which people can cycle to. The idea is to create a community of singers and raise the profile of singing in Cambridge because as we’ve seen this afternoon there’s so many different sorts of singing groups that are going on, we’ve only seen a small selection of them today. The Pop-up Choir is going to sing on the 21stJune with an impromptu choir performance outside the Guildhall. We’re also going to be singing on The Big Weekend on the 5thJuly and also there’ll be the opportunity for people who can come along to sing on the steps of the Fitzwilliam Museum when the Tour de France is starting off on the 7thJuly. Lots of opportunities to sing and record the songs we’re singing as well.
I was lucky enough to be up in the balcony conducting a song at the end of the afternoon and it’s just fantastic seeing a few hundred people really enjoying singing together – I’ve been working in Cambridge for around twenty years now and a lot of my work is about reminding people that they are singers even if they think they can’t sing. There’s a real sense that there is a strong community of people who like to sing now which is good news.”
Rowena Whitehead, Choral Leader for Cycle of Song
"Our launch event for Cycle of Songs was not only great fun it was truly inspirational! I was wowed by the joy and enthusiasm from our performers. It was wonderful to have over 350 singers from so many different ages and places to come together. We festooned Great St Mary’s with balloons and bunting to make it into a festival atmosphere – and with live bands and wonderful community choirs it was a very happy celebration to mark our project funded by Arts Council England for the visit of the Tour de France to the City.
Members of the public wandered in too and were moved by the performances and stayed with us for a couple of hours – standing about 60 deep behind the pews.
The best bit for me was when our Cycle of Songs choir leader, Rowena Whitehead taught everyone there to sing ”Vela Sigabone”, a South African Song. We practiced it together and then performed it at the end of the event. It means “we come together in harmony” – and that is what we did - celebrate as a community with one voice.
I’m hoping that tons of people in Cambridge will be moved to join in our next part of the journey for Cycle of Songs, and sign up to sing or volunteer or photograph the project – all are welcome – find us via cycleofsongs.org
Helen Weinstein, Producer for Cycle of Songs
If you would like to join the Cycle of Songs Choir you can find out more information on our events page cycleofsongs.org/events/ and you can sign-up here cycleofsongs.org/sign_up
There was a riot of sound and colour at Great St Mary’s on Sunday, for the launch of Cycle of Songs. Huge thanks to all who came and sang, danced and made it happen! To see more pictures, find out more or get involved, have a look at cycleofsongs.org
The original post which contains a number of photographs of the event can be found here http://gsmheritage.wordpress.com/2014/05/12/cycle-of-songs-launch/
A Storify created by Pilot Theatre:
A Storify created by Pilot Theatre:
Cycle of Songs will bring together local choirs, schools, composers, musicians, writers and residents in a musical celebration of the Tour de France's visit to Cambridge
Written by Chris Elliott
Cambridge’s Tour de France summer will not be all about bikes – a pedal power music extravaganza is also being planned.
Work has got into gear on an extraordinary project paying homage to the city that will host the world’s most famous cycle race.
The project is called Cycle of Songs, and it will bring together local choirs, schools, composers, musicians, writers and residents in a series of performances at venues around Cambridge in the run-up to the Tour’s arrival on July 7.
The idea has been devised by arts organisations Pilot Theatre and Historyworks, and has been commissioned by the city council, with funding from Arts Council England.
It will hit the road in less than a week’s time, on Sunday May 11, with a launch event at Great St Mary’s Church.
Helen Weinstein, who is producing the project, said it would be “innovative and inspiring”.
The launch event on Sunday, between 2pm and 4pm, is open to the public and will feature choral singing, a live band, refreshments and “family-friendly heritage activities”.
Residents will also be able to sign up for a free, open-to-all group called the Cycle of Songs Choir, which will perform in July. The songs sung will be based on original source material about Cambridge chosen by Prof Weinstein.
She said: “Many will tell hidden stories from the city’s history, to celebrate the quirky and inspirational characters and creatives from the past and present.
“The aim is to showcase and celebrate the talent and diversity of Cambridge, with many local people of all ages sharing their voices and celebrating the city in song. All are welcome.
An app featuring the songs will be developed and released during the Big Weekend, from July 5, to leave what Prof Weinstein calls “a lasting digital legacy”.
Among the local choirs and musical organisations involved in future events are the Sing! community choir, Dowsing Sound Collective, the Shout Aloud! children’s choir, the Addenbrooke’s Hospital Choir and the Cambridge Revelation Rock Gospel Choir.
More details about the Cycle of Songs are available online at www.cycleofsongs.org, or by emailing cycleofsongs@gmail.com.
You can read the original article on the Cambridge News website via http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/News/Cycle-of-Songs-will-bring-together-local-choirs-schools-composers-musicians-writers-and-residents-in-a-musical-celebration-of-the-Tour-de-Frances-visit-to-Cambridge-20140506160010.htm#ixzz3184hNBUv
CYCLE OF SONGS
Written by Jennifer Shelton on 08 May 2014 for the Cambridge Edition.
If you're in town this Sunday, make sure to take a detour past Great St Mary's Church. On 11 May, choirs from across Cambridge will be meeting for a song-filled celebration at Great St Mary's to launch the Cycle Of Songs project, leading up to the main musical event on 7 July to coincide with the visit of le Tour to Cambridge.
Choirs attending include the Addenbrooke's Hospital Choir, Dowsing Sound Collective and Chela the Cambridge Georgian Choir. The church doors will be thrown open to entice the public to pop in and hear the music, and there's a chance to sign up on the day to join a special open-to-all choir that will rehearse in June and perform as part of Cycle of Songs in July.
It takes place from 2-4pm. There will be refreshments on offer and a live band performing afterwards.
Sam Hayes, Director of Music at Great St Mary’s, says: “I’m excited that we will be hosting musicians and singers from such a wide variety of choirs and groups for the Cycle of Songs launch, which will underline the long tradition of music and singing here in the heart of Cambridge.”
For further information on how you can get involved in the Cycle of Songs project as a performer or to volunteer as a steward, a first aider, or as a production intern at the project’s summer events go online or email cycleofsongs@gmail.com.
The original post can ve viewed on the Cambridge Edition website at http://www.cambsedition.co.uk/index.php/news/997-cycle-of-songs-tour-de-france-cambridge
On Sunday 11th May, from 2-4pm, Great St Mary’s is delighted to be hosting the public launch event “Cambridge Sings for Cycle of Songs”.
This fun-filled afternoon will celebrate Cambridge’s singing talent and diversity to launch the innovative and inspiring Cycle of Songs project, which is funded by the Arts Council and will be taking place in the city on the 7th July to coincide with the visit of the Tour de France.
Cycle of Songs will bring stories from Cambridge’s past to life through nine new musical pieces, with local people of all ages sharing their voices and celebrating the city in song.
Find out more about the project at their website: http://www.cycleofsongs.org/
Participating choirs will meet for a song-filled celebration and all are welcome, so do bring along your friends and family too.
Musicians and choirs at the event will include Dowsing Sound Collective, ReSound, Chela the Cambridge Georgian Choir, Sing! Community Choir, Sur Taal Indian Music and Dance, Revelation Rock Gospel Choir, and importantly the host choir of Great St Mary’s itself.
Each choir will sing two favourite songs from their recent repertoire to the other choirs in a 10-15 minute time slot. The event will have a relaxed festival feel with refreshments and a live band afterwards.
This launch event will also be the first of many opportunities to participate in the Cycle of Songs project which will be taking place at various venues across Cambridge up to the 7th July to mark the visit of the Tour de France Stage 3.
There will be the opportunity to sign up for the Cycle of Songs Choir if you’d like to add your voice to the chorus celebrating Cambridge heritage!
If you would like to sign-up as a volunteer on the 11th May or at any of the other Cycle of Songs events you can do so by filling out a short sign-up form via http://cycleofsongs.org/sign_up/
We hope to see you there!
You can read the original post on the Heritage at Great St Mary's Blog at http://gsmheritage.wordpress.com/2014/05/02/cambridge-sings-for-cycle-of-songs/
On Sunday 11th May the free public launch event "Sing Cambridge for Cycle of Songs" will showcase and celebrate Cambridge’s singing talent and diversity to launch the innovative and inspiring Cycle of Songs project, which will be taking place in the city on the 7th July to coincide with the visit of the Tour de France.
From 2pm to 4pm, the Cycle of Songs project will be launched at Great St Mary’s Church, a wonderful location by the market place right in the heart of Cambridge whose community and singers are kindly hosting musicians and choirs from around the city to celebrate the commencement of the Cycle of Songs project.
Musicians and choirs at the event will include Dowsing Sound Collective, ReSound, Chela the Cambridge Georgian Choir, Revelation Rock Gospel Choir, Sing! Community Choir, Sur Taal Indian Music and Dance, and importantly the host choir at Great St Mary’s itself.
This event is the first of many opportunities to participate in Cycle of Songs - which will be taking place at various venues across Cambridge up to and including the 7th July - to mark the visit of the Tour de France Stage 3.
For the 11th May launch, Great St Mary’s doors will be open to let the sound of singing reach those passing and entice the public to pop in and hear choirs sing favourite pieces from their repertoire for an afternoon of music with a relaxed festival atmosphere. There will be a live band & refreshments, plus family-friendly heritage activities will also be on offer at Great St Mary’s during the afternoon. Crucially, it will also be an opportunity for new singers to sign-up for a special free and open-to-all choir that will rehearse for June & perform in July - to join “The Cycle of Songs Choir”.
Commissioned by Cambridge City Council and devised by the acclaimed Pilot Theatre and Historyworks, Cycle of Songs will feature a collection of songs which Helen Weinstein, the Producer, is developing with local choirs, schools, artists and members of the community in collaboration with some of the city’s leading composers, historians, poets and musicians. All of the songs are based on original source materials about Cambridge researched by Helen and her team, many telling hidden stories from the city’s history to celebrate the quirky and inspirational characters and creatives from the past in the present.
An app will be developed to enable people to hear the pieces commissioned for Cycle of Songs alongside summaries of the stories that inspired them along the route, providing a lasting digital legacy for the city. The app will be launched on the afternoon of 5th July at the Big Weekend on Parker’s Piece from the Main Stage & Marquee, as part of celebrations for Stage 3 of the Tour de France Velo Festival.
Marcus Romer, Director of Pilot Theatre, says: “We are looking forward to welcoming you to this launch of the Cycle of Songs journey and to help us make something really special for Cambridge in the build up to the Tour de France Stage 3.”
Helen Weinstein, Producer for Cycle of Songs & Creative Director of Historyworks, says: “I’m thrilled to be bringing so many voices together, and to be developing the new pieces for these choirs which will tell stories to celebrate the history and identity of the city through words and songs.”
Sam Hayes, Director of Music at Great St Mary’s says: “I’m excited we will be hosting musicians and singers from such a wide variety of choirs and groups for the Cycle of Songs launch, which will underline the long tradition of music and singing here in the heart of Cambridge.”
Rosie Sharkey, Heritage Education Officer at Great St Mary’s says: “It has been great working in partnership with Cycle of Songs as we engage with the public to tell the fascinating stories of Cambridge’s past and renew connections with our unique heritage.”
For further information on how you can get involved in the Cycle of Songs project as a performer or to volunteer as a steward, a first aider, or as a production intern at the project’s summer events please visit www.cycleofsongs.org or email cycleofsongs@gmail.com
The following images show the design of the Cycle of Songs postcard. These will be distributed across the city and at all of our events from the 11th May. You can learn more about the range of Cycle of Songs events here http://www.cycleofsongs.org/events/
You can also download the postcard pdf [PDF, 372 kB]
Originally written for the Calvium blog
Calvium is extremely excited to be the chosen app developers working once again with Pilot Theatre and starting a new relationship with Historyworks to produce Cycle of Songs: an audio map of Cambridge devised by Helen Weinstein from her idea for a walking sound poem, funded by Arts Council England, a commission managed by Cambridge City Council. Utilising our Apptrails service, the mobile application will allow users to cycle a route which is punctuated by original songs, revealing untold hidden stories from the city’s history.
With a week’s worth of live celebrations to coincide with Stage 3 of the Tour de France (which starts in Cambridge on Monday 7 July) the app is being developed to allow people to hear the works, stories and celebrations long after the live event has finished, providing a lasting digital legacy for the city.
The songs that will be played will be developed with local choirs, schools, artists and members of the community in Cambridge, supported by some of the city's leading composers and musicians.
Calvium Apptrails is the distillation of over 10 years’ experience in creating rich sound walks, tours and location-based games. The process and tools support the design and development of media rich experiences that respond to and relate to place.
For outdoor spaces we can harness GPS, a freely available service, that can report your location even when you aren’t connected to the internet. Great for remote countryside locations or for tourists who prefer to remain offline.
For indoor spaces we can use iBeacons to deliver a hands free experience or QR codes for a more directed interface.
No matter how complex the end app is the process for the customer is always simple. They draw regions on a map to indicate the location for one of their sound pools or points of interest. Associated with that region they upload the required media and text files.
Helen Weinstein, Co-Director of Cambridge-based Historyworks said: "Historyworks is thrilled to be working with artists and communities to produce an Art work for the Cambridge leg of the Tour De France. We will be making quality audio products that celebrate the history and identity of the city through words and songs, producing a new aural landscape out of found sounds woven with poetic narratives. It is very exciting that we will co-creating an audio soundscape of the music and story-telling surrounding the route through the city which will be an important digital legacy".
Hedley Swain, Area Director, South East, Arts Council England, added: "It will reflect the city's rich arts and cultural heritage and outstanding reputation for new technology by enabling audiences to access the nine choral performances - and the stories behind them - through a new app - ensuring the legacy of this special occasion remains accessible to everyone, both now and in the future. "
Pilot Theatre is a multi-platform theatre organisation delivering critically acclaimed work regionally, nationally and internationally. Pilot aim to inspire creativity and new ways of thinking and are strategic innovators in the field of digital networks and leaders in the delivery and distribution of work for, by and with young people. Marcus Romer, Artistic Director of Pilot Theatre said: “We are delighted to be working with Jo and her team at Calvium. It is a real partnership of innovation and an opportunity to create something very new for audiences to use and explore the city.”
Historyworks is well known for delivering authentic and closely researched stories and audio dramas that are based on meticulous research. The team at Historyworks therefore has a wealth of experience in creating unique and ambitious sound projects, and delivering highly polished and professional products.
Here at Calvium, we are particularly excited about Cycle of Songs because it's an example of using original music that is going to be located in a place, which will build on our apptrails repertoire in new and exciting ways. Furthermore we are thrilled to be able to offer the app as a permanent celebration of Cycle of Songs, long after the live events have taken place.
You can find more information about the technology behind Calvium’s audio app commission for Cycle of Songs below.
The technology platform behind AppTrails comprises:
· The Soundwalk Designer
· The AppTrail builder
· The AppTrail Tester
The Soundwalk Designer is an online service that acts as both a content management system and soundscape design tool. It supports the concept of different layers that encapsulate different behaviours for pools of sound depending on artistic preferences. These can be subtly different depending on the location, the density and nature of the end experience and the lifetime of the project. We can support subtle mixing of sounds between layers, fading out of stories when you leave a region of interest and vibrations when there is something to attend to on the screen. We can also support citywide trails where each point of interest can have text, image, and video in addition to an audio story or song.
The AppTrail builder is a set of automated processes that extracts the customer data from the Soundwalk designer and automatically fuses it into the AppTrail tester app.
The AppTrail Tester is a fully working app that allows the customer to walk around their chosen location to see how well their content fits and responds to the actual environment. It means that customers can make adjustments to both the positions of their soundscapes and the design of the media content before committing to expensive final media production. This early testing is vital for any location aware project as the environment can have such a profound effect on the accuracy of GPS location reporting. It also means that the customer can make well informed decisions on the graphical design of the app which we then incorporate into the test app until it becomes the final app that gets submitted to the app stores. The process means that we can support customers worldwide.
You can read more Calvium posts at http://calvium.com/blog/
PRESS RELEASE TEXT RELEASED BY CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL
The visit of the Tour de France to Cambridge in July will be marked by an inspiring new cycle of songs.The cycle will be performed by local people, musicians and choirs, inspired by iconic locations along the route of the race, using cutting-edge technology and new compositions - but drawing on the city's rich choral traditions and history.
The city council have commissioned the award-winning Pilot Theatre and Historyworks to produce the innovative work, which will coincide with Stage 3 of the Tour de France which starts in Cambridge on Monday 7 July.The project is being funded by a grant from Arts Council England.The songs will be developed with local choirs, schools, artists and members of the community in Cambridge, supported by some of the city's leading composers and musicians.
The works will tell untold hidden stories from the city's history, and will be performed by different groups as part of the celebrations for Stage 3 on the 7 July, and in the lead-up to the event as part of the Big Weekend on Parker's Piece.An app will also be developed that will enable people to hear the works and the stories that inspire them along the route, providing a lasting digital legacy for the city.
Councillor Sarah Brown, Cambridge City Council's Executive Councillor for Community Wellbeing said: "I've seen the proposals being developed and they're hugely exciting. They'll keep crowds entertained along the route while people wait to see their favourite riders go past and create a legacy by which people will be able to remember the day and explore the route in future."
Cllr Noel Kavanagh, Cambridgeshire County Council's cycling champion said: "This is an extremely exciting concept and one which I am sure will capture the imagination of our residents. The visit of Le Tour de France will be a day to remember for us all in July and I think we can all feel the excitement building throughout the city and county."
Marcus Romer, Artistic Director of Pilot Theatre said: "Pilot Theatre are delighted to be making our first major project in Cambridge and are really looking forward to collaborating with the artists and community within the city to create a beautiful and inspiring cycle of songs as part of the Tour de France celebrations."
For Pilot Theatre it is a real opportunity to be able to work here and to bring our skills and experience to create an inspiring piece of work for the City. As a national company, we have worked all over the world and we are honoured to be invited to create a new installation for this unique occasion in this wonderful location. I am looking forward to meeting and working with a whole range of new people here to make a really exciting and landmark project that can be shared and enjoyed by all."
Helen Weinstein, Creative Director of Cambridge-based Historyworks said: "Historyworks is thrilled to be working with artists and communities to produce an Art work for the Cambridge leg of the Tour De France. We will be making quality audio products that celebrate the history and identity of the city through words and songs, producing a new aural landscape out of found sounds woven with poetic narratives. It is very exciting that we will co-creating an audio soundscape of the music and story-telling surrounding the route through the city which will be an important digital legacy".
Hedley Swain, Area Director, South East, Arts Council England, said: "This will be a wonderful opportunity for the people of Cambridge and visitors to really feel part of the Tour de France as its route passes through Cambridge. It will reflect the city's rich arts and cultural heritage and outstanding reputation for new technology by enabling audiences to access the nine choral performances - and the stories behind them - through a new app - ensuring the legacy of this special occasion remains accessible to everyone, both now and in the future. We are delighted to be playing an instrumental role in making this impressive activity possible."
Pilot Theatre is a multi-platform theatre organisation delivering critically acclaimed work regionally, nationally and internationally. Pilot aim to inspire creativity and new ways of thinking and are strategic innovators in the field of digital networks and leaders in the delivery and distribution of work for, by and with young people. Last year the company received much praise for their co-production with Slung Low and York Theatre Royal of the highly acclaimed Blood + Chocolate.
Historyworks has recently moved back to Cambridge and is well known nationally for delivering authentic and closely researched stories and audio dramas that are based on meticulous delving into the archives. The team at Historyworks therefore has a wealth of experience in creating unique and ambitious sound projects, and delivering highly polished and professional products. Historyworks produce wonderful poems and dramas for community art installations and broadcasts for BBC Radio. Therefore, for Cambridge & the Tour De France, the opportunity to have Historyworks coming together with Pilot to co-produce a new song cycle for Cambridge is a very exciting prospect.
Are you interested in taking part and helping with the project?
Maybe you run a choir, or are a singer or musician or poet. Maybe you are a teacher, or an archivist, museum curator, historian or student who wants to help us.
We are looking for people to join us and work with us on this exciting new project.
Just contact us and say how you would like to participate using the form on our new cycleofsongs website here =
Cycle of songs commissioned to mark Tour de France's visit to Cambridge
Cambridge News, Tuesday 25 February 2014.
A cycle of songs celebrating forgotten stories from Cambridge’s past has been commissioned to coincide with the visit of the Tour de France to the city.
The compositions will be produced by some of Cambridge’s leading composers and musicians in partnership with schools, choirs and artists, drawing inspiration from iconic locations along the route of the world’s biggest bike race.
They will be performed by choirs in the run-up to the race’s visit on July 7, and as part of the Big Weekend festival which coincides with the Tour.
A smartphone app will also be developed to enable people to hear the works and the stories that inspired them along the route.
The city council has commissioned Pilot Theatre and Historyworks to produce the work, funded by an Arts Council grant.
Cllr Sarah Brown, the executive councillor for community wellbeing, said: “I’ve seen the proposals being developed and they’re hugely exciting. They’ll keep crowds entertained along the route while people wait to see their favourite riders go past and create a legacy by which people will be able to remember the day and explore the route in future.”
The Arts Council has provided £80,000 to celebrate the Tour de France’s visit to Cambridge, with other ideas including artworks to be displayed on the front of buildings on the race route, or their lawns.
Hedley Swain, the agency’s area director, said: “This will be a wonderful opportunity for the people of Cambridge and visitors to really feel part of the Tour de France as its route passes through Cambridge. It will reflect the city’s rich arts and cultural heritage and outstanding reputation for new technology by enabling audiences to access the nine choral performances and the stories behind them through a new app, ensuring the legacy of this special occasion remains accessible to everyone, both now and in the future.
“We are delighted to be playing an instrumental role in making this impressive activity possible.”
The Tour stage will start on Gonville Place and will travel down Regent Street, Sidney Street, Trinity Street and Trumpington Street, before heading to London. Up to 100,000 people are expected to visit.
Four months of events, dubbed Velo Festival and celebrating Cambridge’s status as the UK’s cycling capital, are planned around the race.
Communities are being encouraged to hold their own cycling events while performances of ‘bike ballet’ are also planned.
Read the article online here: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambridge/Cycle-of-songs-commissioned-to-mark-Tour-de-Frances-visit-to-Cambridge-20140225060000.htm#ixzz2zhuitXSk
by Janine Noack, for the Doing History in Public blog
by Janine Noack, for the Doing History in Public blog
On Monday, March 31, historyworks.tv and Pilot Theatre invited #twitterstorians and various other local people from Cambridge who are involved in the Cycle of Songs project to its launch party. The Cycle of Songs is an attempt to bring together historians, poets, choirs, musicians, and other interested parties to create a festive, fun day when the Tour de France goes through Cambridge on July 7, 2014.
The launch was organized by Creative Director and Producer for the Cycle of Songs, Helen Weinstein, and started with a workshop focusing on possibilities for young historians to get involved in media, with a special focus on BBC programs. The workshop was moderated by a researcher historian at Cambridge Universisty, John Gallagher, one of the BBC New Generation Thinkers.
Helen Weinstein and John Calver (historyworks.tv) started the workshop with their experience producing documentaries and broadcasts for various BBC programs. Their advice for young historians was to be proactive in order to get involved in media. Stories need to be new and fresh, and knowing what has already been produced is key to coming up with good and new ideas.
Fern Riddell, another BBC New Generation Thinker stressed the importance of being passionate about your topic and being okay with saying ‘no’ to projects if they don’t suit you.
Last but not least Paul Lay, editor of HistoryToday, gave a presentation on writing about historical topics for the general public. According to Lay, language is of key importance and many historians do not know how to write a journalistic article. As historians, we need to take this into account and learn to write in an accessible way.
After the workshop, the party started with the Searle Street Band playing. We had lots of networking opportunities and enjoyed great burgers.
To read more about the contribution of the doinghistoryinpublic.org Team go here
Here are some pictures from the event https://www.flickr.com/photos/122034614@N04/sets/72157643270921423/
You can read the original blog post and other Doing History in Public posts at http://doinghistoryinpublic.org/
A Storify created by Pilot Theatre:
A Storify created by Pilot Theatre:
Producing BBC documentaries has been the place where the founders of Historyworks, Jon Calver (Technical & Business Director) and Helen Weinstein (Creative Director) have learnt and honed their skills as storytellers and sound engineers to be programme makers. Founding the media production company Historyworks was a way of being able to make more experimental art works and sound poems for heritage sites and arts projects, in addition to recording and producing sound content and film content for broadcasters.
For experimental art works and traditional heritage narratives, Historyworks has devised and contributed to a range of mobile soundscapes and storytelling projects in cityscapes such as London and in York, and in rural situations, like the 'Downsteam' art work for Common Ground's 'Confluence' HLF project along the River Stour.
Because Historyworks had already made mobile heritage products and sound installations in diverse projects in other landscapes, with Historyworks moving to Cambridge in 2013, Jon and Helen were keen to develop a project for people in Cambridge. With Helen's recent fellowship at Clare Hall at the University of Cambridge, it was super helpful last year to talk to a range of practitioners to share our idea for a project in the city, where you could explore the cityscape and potter around the streets listening to stories and a soundscape of poetry and song and drama inspired by the history of the place.
The Mobile Heritage Conference was a great inspiration, and Historyworks was inundated with requests to visit museums and heritage institutions across Cambridgeshire.
The genesis of the Cycle of Songs project in Cambridge therefore started with a series of meetings with potential partners to talk about history trails and sound scape projects. Co-Directors of Historyworks, Jon Calver & Helen Weinstein ran workshops in Cambridge for the first time with a range of museum practitioners during the Autumn and Winter of 2013, providing practical guidance and coaching about storytelling, audio experiences through history trails, sound installations and films, talking too about the potential for apps and websites and videos to provide online resources, and how walking the streets listening to history can be very engaging.
“Museums ShowOff” event on 30th October at the Cambridge Junction welcomed Helen Weinstein back to the city by inviting her to give a presentation about how museums and galleries might tempt audiences to visit their premises and explore their collections by making trails via online websites and apps, and finding new audiences through cross-over art and sound installations.
Photograph of Helen's presentation at Cambridge Junction courtesy of University of Cambridge Museum blog:
Helen gave examples of her experiences in York where Historyworks had produced a variety of work to tempt the public to connect with the heritage all around them, via personally guided history walks for the public (such as their ground-breaking Jewish History walk), sound installations in heritage buildings (such as their Minster Voices), and storytelling through the city scape (such as their “To Fight or Not to Fight” audio drama at the Guildhall); audio trails and apps to allow the public to have self-guided experiences (such as their audio history trails made in partnership with York Museum Trust and IPUP intern placement students from the humanities’ departments at the University of York). Helen explained her role as a public historian entailed working with University researchers, artistic talent in the cultural sectors, community groups, and with major broadcasters.
Helen explained that partnership and free audio products, can be a good method to draw in audiences to connect in new ways with galleries, museums and heritage sites and the heritage cityscape, because high quality and unique online resources can be a great way to reach audiences beyond the museum walls. She finished her presentation by inviting Cambridge heritage institutions to take up her offer to have help from Historyworks to explore what broadcast and technical media might suit their needs, and to scope what funded projects they might collaborate on to deliver new heritage products.
To help practitioners understand Apps, Jon Calver at Historyworks made this short online explanatory film called “App 101” to share with those we work with. It is presented as an audio guide with a powerpoint presentation by Historyworks.
Historyworks welcomes practitioners sharing App101 on facebook & on websites & newsletters because Helen found that there was NOT a great deal of knowledge about the choices between app iOS and android Googleplay and the popularity of the various devices. This film was super helpful therefore to showcase the different tech choices for delivering an app, explaining the issues of definition and resolution on apps, and ending with a review of the top Apps that have been made for heritage sites in the UK. Do watch and listen:
Because Historyworks tends to make audio tours and sound installations to make pieces of art in sound that reveal untold stories, it has been really important to use a stable provider to deliver audio streaming at high quality, and Historyworks has used audiboo for this purpse. In addition, it has been important to source a company that can provide a method to pin audio at a location, so the audience can walk through the right place whilst listening to a sound feature on their phone or ipad.
In heritage consultations, Jon and Helen particularly recommend the geo-located technology provided by the Bristol-based company Calvium. The proceeding year, the research and intern students at Historyworks had reviewed and tested various apps with Helen, and the top rated heritage apps by far were King’s Cross Stories and the National Trust Heritage Trail of Soho both delivered by App Furnace, Calvium's product.
It was therefore no coincidence that once we were exploring the potential for a tender for Cambridge for a soundscape project, that Calvium’s app furnace with its geo-located capabilities became the top choice for delivering the soundscape app for Cycle of Songs.
With Historyworks moved to Cambridge in 2013 and after a series of Autumn talks and workshops offered to Arts and Heritage sites, - and having visited many practitioners to explore ways in which Historyworks might make mobile heritage happen in the city with history trails, soundscapes and app tecnhology, - it followed that Helen Weinstein, as Creative Director of Historyworks, received an invitation on 11th December 2013 from Cambridge City Council invitating Historyworks to tender for the Arts Council England funding to produce an Art Work for the city to mark the Tour de France visiting in July 2014.
During the development phase, Helen Weinstein as Creative Director of Historyworks and Jon Calver as Technical and Business Director of Historyworks, contacted a range of potential composers and choir leaders, local history professionals and heritage practitioners to discuss how best to create an experience that would enhance Cambridge's sense of place.
Historyworks was the organization invited to tender for the funding and Helen suggested to Jon to invite Marcus Romer from Pilot Theatre to team up and together deliver the idea of a musical walking route around Cambridge offering untold stories delivered in a soundscape with lyrics and musicians and poets and choirs.
Helen Weinstein, as a professional historian, in addition to being the Creative Director took the leadership for identifying the key history stories and potential artists for co-creating the pieces, and when Marcus Romer of Pilot Theatre came on board on 4th January for the first partnership meeting to shape up our tender bid together and walk Cambridge's Tour de France route together, a large number of the potential stories had been scoped, and several of the potential artists contacted. What was needed for the project was an ambition of scale, which is why Historyworks approached Marcus Romer.
Jon Calver, Tehnical and Business Director of Historyworks agreed that having experienced the outdoor drama 'Blood and Chocolate" set outdoors in York's cityscape the previous Autumn, and enjoyed the experience when we worked with Marcus Romer to help us source voices for our BBC Radio features about York in World War One, teaming up with Pilot Theatre's artistic director, Marcus, offered the prospect of creating a winning project for Cambridge. And so it was agreed that we would use the history storyelling and community project building expertise of Helen Weinstein, with the audio recording production and editing technical expertise of Jon Calver, to a scale and ambition made possible by the live expertise of Marcus Romer.
Photographic evidence of Helen delivering the packet containing the tender submission on January 17th!
Following our pitch to the panel on 28th January, and being told of our winning the tender on 30th January, it was therefore decided that the project would be delivered by an equitabble partnership between the two organizations: - Historyworks and Pilot Theatre. For VAT and accountancy reasons and because Pilot had more experience of production management for outdoor public events, it was decided that Pilot be the contracted organization, and we went forward using a contractual MOU to equitably negotiate the budget and tasks, with Historyworks taking all the responsibility for the creative content with contractual and consent negotiations for artists, performers, venues - and with Pilot Theatre overseeing the payments and overall budget.
It was agreed that the production tasks would all be delivered by the Creative Director of Historyworks, Helen Weinstein, to shape the creative elements of devising the research, commissioning the artists, collaborating with the composers and poets and lyricists to utilise the history sources as inspiration for their pieces, source and work with the choirs and musicians, create and organize the partnerships for the events and venues, devise and manage the live performances, and deliver the website and the photography and film assets. It was agreed that Jon Calver as Technical and Business Director of Historyworks was to manage the delivery of audio assets, scope the venues and provide the appropriate kit and sound engineers, overseeing all the essential recording and editing elements to support the choirs up to and including the performances for the app album. It was agreed for Marcus Romer, Artistic Director of Pilot Theatre, to manage the app delivery with the company Calvium, and oversee the overall shape of the branding and marketing and messaging of the project, including delivering a final evaluation report to the funding panel.
For press for the project - do use the Cycle of Songs website at www.cyleofsongs.com to find all the resources - and call Helen Weinstein who is the lead for the project with any questions or to book interivews with Artissts - 07974-827-753
For an overview of the roles on the project, do see the Cycle of Songs roles/responsibilities here:
The project is delivered by an equitable partnership between two organizations who have come together to win the tender: HistoryWorks and Pilot Theatre. Pilot Theatre are the contracted organisation and manage the budget, HistoryWorks are contracting the artists and choirs, venues and crews. The Creative Direction is delivered by Helen Weinstein, Creative Director of HistoryWorks and the Technical Direction is delivered by Jon Calver, Technical & Business Director of HistoryWorks. The Artistic Direction is delivered by Marcus Romer, Artistic Director of Pilot Theatre. Helen Weinstein is engaged as overall Producer with the Historyworks team who are responsible for the delivery of the assets and commissions for live performances and for their use on the app and website. Also to deliver the outward facing media delivery of website and photography, video and audio assets.
No Strings Attached, (Ian Turner, Wendy Hardemann, Tom Ling and
) will be performing at the Cambridge Folk Club, The Golden Hind Pub, 355 Milton Road,
Cambridge,CB4 1SP ( on the corner of Kings Hedges Rd) this Friday 28 April,
There will be three sets ; the lovely Emily Mae Winters, The oh-so lyrical Larks, and No Strings Attached... ( spot the band without the website!) we will be on last and are doing the last 45 minute set.
You can book a ticket here, ( £8) or take your chance on the door......
These showcase evenings of musicians sharing their music for shorter sets are always a joy, with lovely samplings of musicians' favourite pieces and we are very happy to be singing at the Folk Club again. We've been honing our harmonising and have some new songs alongside our old favourites with the inevitable Join-In Opportunities which we look forward to sharing with you !
And we fully intend to get a decent photo made some time soon....
Rowena x
Telephone: Helen Weinstein, Producer, on 07974-827-753
Email: cycleofsongs@gmail.com
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