Cantata for soloists, choirs and brass band based on the birth of a pit village. Cassette recording of premier performance featuring 450 performers.
When we invited Mike Kirkup and Derek Hobbs to write a new piece for A Century of Coal: Ashington Festival 1994, we presented an almost impossible request. The work should be written about the local mining community, and should draw on its talents and cultural background; we wanted to use children's voices, adult choirs, brass bands and soloists. From these ideas Fell 'em Doon was born in a close collaboration between composer and librettist. Funding was secured from Northern Arts and dates set for the premiere. In the meantime, a meeting was called to ascertain the likely interest in the community. The response was immediate, enthusiastic and enormous. Could we all fit in to Ashington Leisure Centre? Where would everyone sit? Was there room for the audience? Happily, all was resolved and rehearsals began. From the start there was excited anticipation, and as the performances came closer it was obvious that something very special was growing in Ashington. So, many thanks to all the people who have made Fell 'em Doon such a highlight of the year; and special thanks to Derek and Mike for their inspiration and tireless hard work to see the printed page translated into performance. 20,000 Voices and the Ashington Festival both have a strong commitment to working with the community - Fell 'em Doon fulfils both our goals and our dreams! Ann Suggate Song Manager, 20,000 Voices |
Derek Hobbs £8.50(Vocal score)
Fell 'em Doon