Sei Solo
June – September 2018: the story behind Bach’s Sei Solo mirrors many of the themes we explored with students from Exeter House School and Exeter House Vocational Centre throughout this project. How can their voices be heard? How can they use music to express themselves in a culture where intellect, words and regulation override their own language of instinct and feeling? Students worked with artistic director Howard Moody, alongside project artists Emma Payne, Adrian Zolotuhin, Jeff Moore, Bryony Moody, Charlotte Beament and visual artist Susan Francis.
The project culminated in an informal sharing of the students’ creative responses to the music of Bach at St Martin’s Church, Salisbury on Friday 28 September at 10.30am. Download the programme and project artists information here.
Continuing Songs workshops at Salisbury College
June – November 2018: we continued our work with students who had left Exeter House School, along with other young people who are new to our projects. Working alongside students on the Foundation Studies Course, project artists Howard Moody, Adrian Zolotuhin, Jeff Moore, Colin Brown, Buster Birch and Ruby Moody gathered together songs the students created – old and new – into a recording.
The launch of the Continuing Songs CD took place at Salisbury Arts Centre on 28 November 2018. Click here to buy a copy of the CD.
‘Many music projects end up being one-offs, with no follow-up or expansion beyond an end of project happening. Continuing Songs was an ongoing continuation of work with a group of young people and thereby the demonstration of what can be successfully achieved over time. The CD production also gives the participants, their families and audience a memento for life.’
Shirley Taylor, La Folia Board of Trustees‘The Continuing Songs project was a true manifestation of something that had previously felt impossible to achieve, with all the songs sung by those who created them. It was a project – and now an album – with true artistic integrity. The discipline of recording fed into the confidence of the performers when they presented their songs live. We all felt as if we were part of a completely united band of singers and players, led by the students’ completely undefended and heartfelt openness.’
Howard Moody, La Folia Artistic Director‘The students transformed from being very nervous at the start of the project to feeling much more confident, not only standing in front of a crowd at the launch event, but singing too. They have all worked really well together as a team and should be very proud of themselves.’
Donna McGuirk, Deputy Head of Department for Foundation Studies at Wiltshire College & University Centre, Salisbury‘I have had such a good time working on this project and writing my own song which I also got to sing in front of friends and family. I can describe the CD launch in one word – epic!’
Jamie Fitzgerald, aged 19, Foundation Studies student at Wiltshire College & University Centre, Salisbury
Evening Songs
A new group of Exeter House students and cathedral choristers devised their own words and music in response to the traditional Evensong liturgy, directed by Howard Moody and alongside acclaimed tenor Mark Padmore and soprano Charlotte Shaw. Over 800 people joined the congregation for the service on Tuesday 9 July.
Click here to see more photographs from the rehearsal
Click here to see more photographs from the service
Click here to listen to a podcast about the 2019 project
The 2019 project followed the success of Evening Songs 2016, which attracted a congregation of over 700 and caused Precentor Tom Clammer to write, ‘This was one of the most, if not the most important thing the cathedral has ever done. It has undoubtedly been transformational for all of us’. We were invited by Salisbury Cathedral to produce another Evening Songs project in 2019 with the students of Exeter House School and Exeter House Vocational Centre along with Salisbury Cathedral choristers.
Click here to see the BBC South Today report from Evening Songs 2016
Evening Songs 2019 was funded by the following individuals and organisations: Arts Council England | The Arts Society Wylye Valley | The Girdlers’ Company Charitable Trust | Golsoncott Foundation | Anton Jurgens Charitable Trust | Irwin Mitchell | Salisbury Cathedral | The Geoff and Fiona Squire Foundation | Michael Tippett Musical Foundation | Verdon Smith Charitable Trust | Wallace Curzon Charitable Trust | Wiltshire Music Connect | Individual supporters of the Evening Songs crowdfunder campaign* and La Folia’s the singing trust
La Folia collaborated with the following organisations to realise the Evening Songs 2019 project: Salisbury Cathedral | Salisbury Cathedral School | Exeter House Special School | Wiltshire College & University Centre Salisbury
*Supporters of the Evening Songs 2019 crowdfunder campaign:
Suzanne Ball | Niki Ewen Benns | Megan Brand | Ann Burn | Kate Burrough | Vanessa Coryndon | John Cox | Roslyn Currie | Fiona Hennessy Doyle | Gary Eden | Gemma Edney | Shirley Evans | Donna Ford | Rosie Fraser | Roger Garrett | Mandy Gates | Jo Gilbert | Louise Govier | Roland Govier | Rowen Gower | Melissa Hampshaw | Alexandra Johnson | Susan Kent | Justine Koos | Maurice Larcombe | Emma Leonard | Penelope Marland | Louise Martingale | Howard Moody | Alison Pascalidis | Mark Podkolinski | Helen Poole | Sarah Reeman | Stuart Reeman | Debbie Rigg | Vicky Robinson | Jane Rudd-Hughes | Lucy Salisbury | Cally Scammell | David Scammell | Lucy Scammell | Catherine Sinclair | Maggie Stokes | Katie Straker | Cheryl Sullivan | Alethea Anne Swift | Sarah Vaughan | Brian Waters | Hannah Watkins | Patricia Wylie | Thomas Wyman | Anna Wyse