Calling all local singers, young or old – the Nelson Arts Festival needs your voice and your thoughts for a ‘community conversation in song.’
‘Sing It To My Face’ is an inter-generational music theatre project featuring local volunteer singers. Three choirs of different ages express how they really feel about society in a stylised, theatrical performance of a fully scored choral arrangement.
It’s just one of the ways that locals can get involved in this year’s festival, and both confident and first time singers from 6 – 99 years of age, from all corners of the region, are invited to take part.
Writer and director, Jo Randerson from Wellington-based Barbarian Productions, says they are asking Nelson locals for their opinions about three different generations in our society – under 30, 30-60 and over 60, by filling out a survey.
Questions such as ‘what are young people like these days’ and ‘how would you like the world to be in the future’ and just a sample of what you’ll need to answer.
The survey text will then be collated, edited and re-organised by Jo, set to music by musical director, Julian Raphael and rehearsed and performed by local singers.
Jo says they have already made the project in Wellington and thought Nelson would be the perfect fit for the next project.
“It’s a good project to do where there are a few community choirs going, and Nelson is a strong place to work from and there is a good community spirit there,” she says.
She says the idea for the show came about in 2014 when she noticed more intergenerational comments in society, such as comments of Facebook about what young people are like or what old people are like.
“I felt it was a conversation we should have more publicly, and I know there’s a sense of concern amongst all generations about how the future is looking,” she says.
“In past shows we’ve had grandparents bringing their grandchild, or parents bringing their child or sometimes a whole family.”
If you’re interested in being a singer in the show, email singittomyface@gmail.com. A public singing workshop is in the pipeline for 3rd September which is open for anyone to attend.
The performances will take place on Wednesday 19th & Thursday 20th October at Nelson Musical Theatre, and the Nelson Weekly will be giving away a double pass to the show to one lucky reader. Just email your contact details to editorial@nelsonweekly.co.nz by 5pm this Friday, 12 August.
