Stone Songs

About

STONE SONGS
By Howard Moody

Over 800 years after the laying of the Cathedral's foundation stone, STONE SONGS will reflect on the skill, vision and dedication that it took to build such a magnificent building, inspired by the ancient chants that have resonated from the stones since the 13th century. Underpinned by the power of the newly refurbished Cathedral organ, the voices of the Festival Chorus will explore the acoustic possibilities of the building and reflect on the incredible vision that created it.

STONE SONGS will involve a large chorus, five soloists, brass, percussion, violin, organ and a stone mason at work. This new work celebrates the metamorphosis of stones over geological time and the wonder that they inspire, once they have been crafted into the great cathedrals of the world.

Commissioned by La Folia in collaboration with Wiltshire Creative, it was written for the 800th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of Salisbury Cathedral. Its first performance was originally planned for May 2020 but is now happily rescheduled to open the Salisbury International Arts Festival in May 2022.

The Festival Chorus has long been a distinctive and central part of the Festival's identity and Wiltshire Creative are delighted that this event will herald the start of two packed weeks of music, dance, circus, film, theatre, visual art, spoken word and much more. In pandemic times, the opportunity to have the community's voices resounding off the resonant surfaces of the Cathedral's stones will be especially powerful.

The lyrics of the final chorus will have a new and potent significance: "We like living stones will make it sound again"



Running Time: 60 mins