'And, on that note'
Commissioned by Patrick Fox, Heart of Glass, Arts Council of Englands Creative People and Place programme, St Helens Liverpool. This event on December 10th 2014 at Langtree Park, Rugby Stadium,
hosted an evening 'Silent Night' with visual and musical elements alongside an event linked to the anniversary of the World War 1 Christmas Truce of 1914. For one evening this event brought together school, church and community choirs from across the borough, forming a mass choir of some 500 local singers and an audience of approx 1500.
'And, on that Note' is a visual art commission alongside this event that combined choral voices with sculpture, performance and audience participation. Working with a team of 35 locally based artists and students from St Helens College and Carmel College, dancers from 'Watch this space productions' and a Cheerleader group all helped in the production of the works as well as performing in the event.
‘And, on that note’ considers moments of transition, states of uncertainty, in-between private thought and public behavior. The performative works present individual and collective endurance - the patterns within moments of exertion where action, feeling and meaning become one. Each element looks at the ‘self’ during moments of human interaction and gathering, reflecting on the tensions between isolation, desire, connection and unity.
A Moving threshold, a fabric sculpture for which performers provide a flexible support structure, greets the audience as they enter the Arena and moves around the pitch to observe the event. The choir of 500 people reform as an ‘Emotional Choir‘ with three experimental choral interludes exploring laughter and obsession.
A Moving threshold, a fabric sculpture for which performers provide a flexible support structure, greets the audience as they enter the Arena and moves around the pitch to observe the event. The choir of 500 people reform as an ‘Emotional Choir‘ with three experimental choral interludes exploring laughter and obsession.
A carpeted landmass sits still in the darkness of the arena’s pitch until it rumbles and falls apart. A mass of moving sculptures of boulders and black clouds negotiate this terrain. An inflatable sculpture manifests as a collective breath in the opposite stand of the stadium.
The Choir of 500 people performed three interludes during the event where they became an 'Emotional Choir'.
These interludes were choreographed to coincide with the moving sculptural elements.
Part 1 A laughter Choir where each row laughed in turn until the whole choir were laughing and the clouds moved across the pitch and were passed into the audience.
Part 2 The Choir and audience approx 2000 were invited to repeat the name of a person they loved while the landmass erupted and fell apart.
Part 3 The choir sang a high note, while holding a gold card infront of their heads until they couldnt hold the note anymore.
The Choir of 500 people performed three interludes during the event where they became an 'Emotional Choir'.
These interludes were choreographed to coincide with the moving sculptural elements.
Part 1 A laughter Choir where each row laughed in turn until the whole choir were laughing and the clouds moved across the pitch and were passed into the audience.
Part 2 The Choir and audience approx 2000 were invited to repeat the name of a person they loved while the landmass erupted and fell apart.
Part 3 The choir sang a high note, while holding a gold card infront of their heads until they couldnt hold the note anymore.
Photo by Stephen King
Landmass, Boulders and Moving Threshold.
Photo by Stephen King
St Helens Rugby Stadium
Photo by Stephen King
Photo by Stephen King
The choir sing a high note, while holding a gold card infront of their heads until they couldn't hold the note anymore.
Photo by Stephen King
A carpeted landmass with boulders that sat still untill the audience collectively repeated the name of a person they love. The landmass rumbles, moves and falls apart spreading accross the pitch.
Photo by Stephen King
The Landmass . Carpet, Corri board, Moulding Cloth and 12 performers.
Photo by Stephen King
Photo by Stephen King
Photo by Stephen King
Photo by Stephen King
Boulder
Photo by Rhona Byrne
Two large black clouds 'Its All up in the Air ' carried around the pitch by eight performers, then pass the clouds to then move around the audience. The Choir are laughing.
Photo by Rhona Byrne
Photo by Stephen King
Photo by Stephen King
'Its All up in the Air' large black balloon clouds get passed around the audience.
Photo by Rhona Byrne
A Moving threshold,reconfigures and moves around the pitch and observes the event.
Photo by Stephen King