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New York 2005 Krakow 2007 2004 Festivals Voices of Change |
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'Voices of Change' by Jill JarmanWe are delighted that Jill Jarman's composition Voices of Change is now available to purchase at our concerts at the fantastic price of £4.00. It was recorded professionally with the choirs in September 2009 and many thanks to everyone involved in these sessions for all their hard work and patience. The recording took place using the excellent facilities at the Coombehurst Studios located in Kingston University. Studio Address Coombehurst StudiosKingston University Kingston Hill Campus Kingston Hill Kingston upon Thames Surrey KT2 7LB You may wish to check out the studio page on the Kingston University website. To find where the University is located click on this link on www.streetmap.co.uk There is an excellent guide on how to get to the University by road or public transport along with the location of the studio with a downloadable map of the campus and parking spaces, please click on this link on the Kingston University website.
Read Jill's original commentsOne of the problems of writing an original jazz choral piece of music is what to do about text. Setting music to an existing text can be problematic, for jazz as a genre does not lend itself easily to this, so an original text had to be written. Billie Holiday (often called 'the first lady of jazz') seemed like a good starting point. Her life, troubled by prejudice and drug use, is in many ways as relevant today as it was then. Yet I did not want a piece that was stuck in pessimism. Indeed Billie's music, while reflective of her time, stays with us today not only for the sometimes haunting lyrics and melodies (God bless the child), foot stomping' rhythms (Taint nobody's business,) but also because of its ability to 'speak' the truth (Strange fruit), and I firmly believe that truth, however difficult, is the catalyst for change. Billie Holiday?s life therefore, while implied in this piece, has also been used as a metaphor for the American civil rights movement, which in turn is used to represent all people trying to bring about positive change. In 2008 many situations worldwide are troubling and the overall feeling is one of disempowerment. It is easy to become overwhelmed as individuals, feeling that one person cannot change anything, yet the people referred to in this piece did just that. The message then, while hinting at a dark time in American history, is one of hope. Rosa Parks (amongst others), nicknamed the mother of the civil rights movement, showed how one, ordinary individual can bring about change. Jill Jarman August 2008. 'for the sake of the hundreds of thousands trembling under our violence, I cannot be silent.' (Martin Luther King) Since writing these programme notes a new president has been elected in America. Who would have thought this could happen in our lifetime? Let us celebrate the 'voices of change'. Lyrics of Voices of change
In their eyes she saw herself reflected 'Voices of Change' was performed at the Addison Singers Jazz Concert on 29 November and in the Joint Choir Carol Concert 18 December 2008. | |
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