They hurry through from Petergate as if they know this dance
So, a couple of years ago I wrote about going to St Olave, Hart Street, to hear the premiere of Benjamin Till's Pepys Motet. Which was fabulous. Mr Benjamin Till, I said. Look out for him.
Anyway, he's been at it again with the ridiculously ambitious projects. I've been reading about Ebor Vox on his blog, and at one point had hopes of getting up to York to hear it. But life got in the way, and the 800th anniversary of York's charter rather inconveniently fell on a weekday (shocking lack of foresight from King John, there). But really: who wouldn't want to hear a choral work performed by 800 people walking through the streets of York? 800 people! All at once! (At least according to the BBC. Mr Till's blog claims only 600. But still! 600! All at once!)
I've just been looking at the snippets of footage on the BBC, and now I'm all cross that I didn't make more effort to get up there for it.
He's also a film-maker, and has done a bunch of community projects involving musical films of "normal" people (rather than professional singers or musicians). You can watch Watford Gap: The Musical on youtube. Or Tyne & Wear Metro: The Musical (which has both rappers and rapper-dancers in it). Or my favourite, Symphony for Yorkshire (although that does also feature quite a lot of pro musicians).
If silly, exuberant and slightly twee musical films aren't your thing, you can download a rather quiet mp3 of Oranges and Lemons, which is a fabulous choral work set to recordings of the bells mentioned in the nursery rhyme.
I'm really quite impressed both by how prolific and talented this guy is. Even if he does occasionally throw hissy fits on his blog :)
Anyway, he's been at it again with the ridiculously ambitious projects. I've been reading about Ebor Vox on his blog, and at one point had hopes of getting up to York to hear it. But life got in the way, and the 800th anniversary of York's charter rather inconveniently fell on a weekday (shocking lack of foresight from King John, there). But really: who wouldn't want to hear a choral work performed by 800 people walking through the streets of York? 800 people! All at once! (At least according to the BBC. Mr Till's blog claims only 600. But still! 600! All at once!)
I've just been looking at the snippets of footage on the BBC, and now I'm all cross that I didn't make more effort to get up there for it.
He's also a film-maker, and has done a bunch of community projects involving musical films of "normal" people (rather than professional singers or musicians). You can watch Watford Gap: The Musical on youtube. Or Tyne & Wear Metro: The Musical (which has both rappers and rapper-dancers in it). Or my favourite, Symphony for Yorkshire (although that does also feature quite a lot of pro musicians).
If silly, exuberant and slightly twee musical films aren't your thing, you can download a rather quiet mp3 of Oranges and Lemons, which is a fabulous choral work set to recordings of the bells mentioned in the nursery rhyme.
I'm really quite impressed both by how prolific and talented this guy is. Even if he does occasionally throw hissy fits on his blog :)