GBC is Sense of Sound’s new youth choir. The group was launched with funding from Youth Music as part of Sing Up Greenwich, and is supported by Greenwich Music Service and Trinity College of Music. Sense of Sound has been working in partnership with Greenwich Theatre on this project.

Under the musical direction of Sense of Sound’s Artistic Director, Juliet Russell, the choir is made up of talented young singers and beatboxers living or studying in the London borough of Greenwich.  Although only formed in June 2009 the group has already performed at Blackheath Halls and Charlton House, and has now received an special invitation to appear at the prestigious Sadler’s Wells on Thursday 11 March. They will be performing as part of GATEWAY TO MUSIC, a high profile showcase of talented young musicians and singers from throughout the 10 Olympic Host and Gateway boroughs.

GBC’s Musical Director, Juliet Russell said, “This is a very exciting opportunity. Sadlers Wells is one of London’s premiere venues and we are proud to be able to showcase some of the amazing young vocal talent that Greenwich has to offer. What is fantastic about this group is that it is full of talented individuals who work together to create something that sounds amazing. We don’t use instruments so the voice might become a beat or a bass line as well. We have beatboxers working alongside R’n’B singers, pop and rock singers.”

GBC rehearses at Greenwich Theatre on Thursday evenings between 4.30pm and 6pm.  All rehearsals and performances are free to participants.

For all press enquiries, or for young people aged 12-18 interested in joining GBC please contact Juliet Russell at juliet@senseofsound.net or on 020 7229 6633

Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue,

London EC1R 4TN

Thu 11 March, 7pm

Gateway To Music

All tickets £5

Box Office 0844 412 4300

www.sadlerswells.com

A selection of music from all six of the epic sci-fi Star Wars films is coming to the stage in lavish multi-media style as part of a world-wide tour and Sense of Sound Singers will be taking part in the extravaganza.   

The 60 strong choir will be joined by Wirral based choir, Together under the musical direction of Perri Alleyne-Hughes and Matt Lammin. The vocal ensemble will perform 2 pieces in the first half the show and choir manager Jennifer John says, “We are delighted to be involved in such an iconic show, especially in our own home town. The choir is extremely excited and the show is going to be amazing”.

Featuring narration by Anthony Daniels of C3PO fame and performances of John Williams classics by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Star Wars: In Concert also includes an extra special treat for fans!

Film footage edited to fit in with the musical score will be displayed on a three storey tall LED screen, said to be one the largest ever used in a tour.

But the concert will also be accompanied by an exhibition of items ranging from from costumes and props, to production artwork and behind-the-scenes footage from the Lucasfilm archive.

Highlights include blasters from Tatooine and Coruscant, costumes for Jedi masters Kit Fisto and Plo Koon, and orginal hand written musical scores from Episode One: The Phantom Menace.

John Williams said: “Creating the music for the Star Wars films has been an exciting and wonderful experience for me, and I therefore have derived particular pleasure in assembling a compendium of themes from all of the films to be presented in Star Wars: In Concert.

The concert is on Tuesday, March 9, at the Liverpool Echo Arena. For tickets costingŠ£65, £50, £40 or £30 phone 0844 800 0400.

Members of Sense of Sound joined Paloma Faith for her appearance on Radio 1’s Live Lounge last week where they performed the Christmas classic, Fairytale of New York. The stunning vocal arrangement performed by 12 singers alongside Paloma’s band and Roy Stride from Scouting for Girls, was created by Artistic Director,  Juliet Russell. Jo Whiley presented the show. You can check it out here:

091219_palomafaith.shtml

The courses will run concurrently and the dates can be found below:

Introduction to Singing course

Through a cappella singing, this challenging course for beginners will provide an introduction to vocal techniques.

Using contemporary songs we will teach you how to sing with confidence.

Sense of Sound encourages, inspires and develops the creativity of all those taking part.

COURSE CONTENT

• Breathing and breath control
• Basic Principles of Singing
• Harmony singing
• Confidence building

This course is for those aged 16 and over

The next Introduction to Singing course takes place over 2 linked Saturdays which are as follows:

SATURDAY 6th MARCH 2010

SATURDAY 13th MARCH 2010

Both days run from 11am – 4pm

COURSE COSTS: £100

We were able to try new skills in a relaxed atmosphere and the pace was spot on! There was support for all abilities and concentration spans. We were taken seriuosly and there was no embarrassment.

Singing in Harmony course

Fantastic! Juliet is always enthusiastic and never ever makes anyone feels under-confident or unable to sing. The actual singing in a group was brilliant!

Through a cappella group singing, this challenging course will provide an exploration of musical styles from African to contemporary pop, soul and R’n’B.

This course is suitable for those people with some experience of singing (or natural ability) or for those who have completed our Introduction to Singing course.

COURSE CONTENT

• Breathing and breath control
• Improvisation
• Harmony singing
• Introduction to African songs
• Contemporary pop, soul and R’n’B songs
• Group singing
• Performance skills
• Confidence building

The course takes place over a period of twelve weeks with weekly two hour sessions and culminates in a public performance.

This course is for those aged 16 and over

The next Singing in Harmony course begins on WEDNESDAY 14th APRIL 2010

The course runs from 6-8pm and the final performance will take place on the evening of WEDNESDAY 30TH JUNE 2010 (venues t.b.c.)

COURSE COSTS: £155

I aways feel much better physically & emotionally after singing. A great tonic!

Following on from the hugely successful 21 date tour with Russell Watson earlier this year, members of the choir also joined him at the Grand Palais in Paris earlier this month. The event attended by 2,000 delegates was the first of 2 dates in this month’s calandar, the 2nd being a television shoot at Manchester Cathedral for Songs of Praise which is due to be broadcast in January 2010.

We will keep you updated when we know the exact dates that the programme goes on air.

Members of Liverpool based Sense of Sound Singers feature on the new highly acclaimed Thea Gilmore Christmas album, Strange Communion.

Following the recent trend towards more non-denominational celebrations the album opens with the beautiful a cappella track, Sol Invictus, vocally arranged by Artisitc Director, Jennifer John and featuring the choir.

After joining Gilmore for 2 live dates at Pacific Road Theatre, Birkenhead and Band on the Wall, Manchester the track went down a storm live and the choir were also invited to be her featured guest at both performances.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/dec/11/theo-gilmore-strange-communion

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-thea-gilmore-strange-communion-fullfill-1837835.html

http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/music/othermusic/Album+review+Thea+Gilmore+Strange+Communion-9949.html

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/cd_reviews/article6959014.ece

Twisted Christmas

Sense Of Sound Singers, Richard Hawley, Ed Harcourt, Josephine Foster, Amiina with Kippi Kaninus & Paul Lydon, Polly Scattergood, Alasdair Roberts, Sense Of Sound Singers, Eliza Carthy & The House of Fairytales

15 December 2009 / 19:30
Barbican Hall Tickets: £15 / 20 / 25
subject to availability

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Featuring Sense Of Sound Singers, Richard Hawley, Ed Harcourt, Josephine Foster, Amiina with Kippi Kaninus & Paul Lydon, Polly Scattergood, Alasdair Roberts,  Eliza Carthy, The House of FairyTales & more to come

MC Jeremy Hardy MD David Coulter
Guitar Leo Abrahams
Bass Rory McFarlane
Drums Joel Stanley
Keyboards Roger Eno
Saxophone Mike Smith
Cor anglais/Oboe/Alto sax/Soprano Sax Kate St John
Clarinet/Bass Clarinet/Flute Jack Pinter
Harp/Marimba/Percussion Julia Thornton Electronics Jean Jacques Palix

This year’s deliciously dark evening of festive entertainment features an all-new line-up.

Amongst the guests for this year’s Twisted Christmas will be he haunting Scottish folk musician Alasdair Roberts, the always-adventurous Sense Of Sound Singers, (graduates of BBC1’s Last Choir Standing competition), Sheffield legend Richard Hawley, the critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter and pianist Ed Harcourt, Colorado’s psych-folk chanteuse Josephine Foster, members of Icelandic string quartet, and regular Sigur Ros collaborators, Amiina, who will perform with compatriots Paul Lydon and Kippi Kaninus. Also, Simon Fisher Turner revives his King of Luxembourg alter ego especially for this concert.

Plus the remarkable Polly Scattergood, t and the remarkable Mercury nominated, multi BBC Radio 2 Folk music award winner Eliza Carthy, the House of Fairytales and more to be announced!

‘The Barbican looks beyond the tinsel to find the darkness beneath’ The Guardian

FreeStage pre-show: Cold Turkey : 6.45pm – 7.15pm ]]> http://www.senseofsound.org/sense-of-sound-singers-in-twisted-christmas-the-barbican/feed/ 0 http://www.senseofsound.org/dadaawards-2009/ http://www.senseofsound.org/dadaawards-2009/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:45:05 +0000 jen http://www.senseofsound.org/?p=276 DaDaAwards

Sense of Sound is delighted to be involved in this year’s DadaAwards ceremony which takes place on December 3rd at The Hilton hotel in Liverpool. The only UK Awards ceremony that acknowledges the workof deaf and disabled artists, the evening will consist of a cabaret, fine feasting, awards, laughter and song.

So Many Excuses will host the event, a rebirth of No Excuses; Mandy Colleran, Ali Briggs and Mandy Redvers Rowe reform for this fabulous evening. From attending rallies, creating mayhem, and a movement as well as completing commissions for the BBC, they’re ripe for re-emergence in their continued quest for equality.
The evening will debut the DaDaSings choir, working with Sense of Sound, Ayotunde Falona and Caroline Parker. A group of hearing singers and deaf signers will delight the senses and bring a fresh perspective to signed song.

Hilton Liverpool, L1 8LW

Tickets £50, Book a table of 10 for £500

Telephone: 0151 707 1733 Email: events@dadahello.com,

Minicom: +44 (0)151 706 0365 Fax: +44 (0)151 708 9355

Book your ticket now by contacting DaDa – Disability
& Deaf Arts direct.

NOMINATE YOUR FAVOURITE ARTIST FOR A DADA AWARD!!

The DaDaAwards are here again! Please download a copy of the Nomination Information and a Nomination Form and get them to us now! Please contact faye@dadahello.com if you need any further information.
This years Awards are sponsored by: Northwest Regional Development Agency, ITV Productions, The Mersey
Partnership, National Museums Liverpool, Breakthrough UK and Culture Liverpool (Liverpool City Council)

Audio description, with sign language  and palantypist.

The Re-entry of Malcolm Lowry into Liverpool: A Song Tricycle
Saturday 21 November at 8.00pm at the Bluecoat

Sense of Sound’s latest collaboration sees members of the choir working with poet, Ian McMillan and composer Luke Carver Goss.Well known for his work on national radio, notably BBC Radio 3’s language and literature cabaretThe Verb, Ian McMillan - ‘the John Peel of poetry’ – is creating a song cycle about Lowry, whose 1947 novel Under the Volcano is a modern classic, often positioned in the top 100 novels of the 20th Century.

Commissioned for the Bluecoat’s Lowry season and written with composer Luke Carver Goss, the piece will be performed by Liverpool’s Sense of Sound choir.
A ukulele player and jazz lover, music was important to Lowry, who was born on Merseyside. The songs imagine him revisiting Liverpool, and look at three strands of his life: the sea, writing and drink. They also reflect Lowry’s inventiveness as a writer, the dreaminess of his incandescent prose. Bridging the space between poet and choir, speech and song, river and land, the choral music is a metaphor for the River Mersey as it flows through the city and in and out of Lowry’s life and work.
Our new work follows Lowry as he travels dark roads and tortuous landscapes of the mind, from Liverpool to Mexico and back again. It contains songs of drink, doubt, death and despair, but also of stoicism and life-affirming jazz – and gives the audience a chance to ask ‘What if Lowry had lived longer and stayed in Liverpool. What then?’ - Ian McMillan

Tickets £5.00 from Tickets and Information at the Bluecoat, 0151 702 5324 or visit www.thebluecoat.org.uk

Details of these courses are in the Courses and Workshops section on the left of this page. In order to secure a place please call us in the office on (0151) 702 7799 to discuss payment. We offer flexible payment opportunities so please feel free to discuss this with us.

We will also be running masterclasses in the new year so please keep checking this space for details.