Wednesday 4 May 2011

Scattering Notes like Bright Pennies


This is the title of the performance that Polly Bolton, her choir Larks and I did on May 1st at the recent Much Wenlock Poetry Festival. The programme that we collaborated on was based entirely on my poems, many of which Polly has set to music, and the result of her musical inspiration, my words, and Larks' singing was truly magnificent. I honestly think, from the enthusiastic feedback we got at the end of it, that our audience was very satisfied, or as some put it "BLOWN AWAY"!
Polly is on the left of this photo, in white, I'm on the right, in green. Larks were all wearing turquoise.
We were given Holy Trinity Church, the main parish church of Much Wenlock as our venue and what a venue- gloriously light and airy, with excellent accoustics. Larks' voices soared like the real thing! (The title of the event is taken from my poem The Skylark).
It is also a very large space and we were very anxious to begin with as we watched people filtering in, wondering if it would fill. And it did! I'd like to thank all the friends who came from the Chester area to support it, and also to offer my warm thanks to Larks and Polly for an amazing musical experience of my own poems. Not forgetting the Festival organisers for hosting us!

This festival at Much Wenlock is only in its second year but it is a real delight. The town is small and very friendly. A shuttle bus service is provided to take people from the town to the bigger events at the Edge centre just outside the town and the Festival team could not be more welcoming.I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Imtiaz Dharker, Jo Shapcott and Andrew Motion reading at the Edge, on the Saturday, and would have liked to have heard Mario Petrucci on the Sunday but his reading clashed with our performance. You have to decide what to miss, and I missed Roger Garfitt, Carol Ann Duffy, Paul Henry and Simon Armitage among many other events. But I had a really great time even so.It's just a great place! Put it in your diary for next year - I'm sure this festival will go from strength to strength.

No comments:

Post a Comment