ORCHESTRA of SOUND and LIGHT
2022:
The South Downs Songbook project starts in February 2022 with composing workshops at Hastings Academy, East Sussex Academy of Music and BHASVIC; a Digital Resources Pack; and performances and workshops of four specially commissioned works plus student pieces in June 2022.
2020-21:
The Cuckmere Soundwalk on the Echoes Interactive Walks App and featuring the Orchestra of Sound and Light was featured on BBC South East in September 2020 and shortlisted for an Ivor Novello Award in November 2021.
2020:
Release of album 'Time, Space and Change' on Metier Records
In Sunday Times Top 100 records of 2020 (13.12.2020)
In American Record Guide Critics’ Choice 2020 (the top 10% of discs chosen by the original reviewers - 1.1.2021)
2018:
- to complete a new 30' score 'Cuckmere: A Portrait' by Ed Hughes with new film by Cesca Eaton and photographer Fergus Kennedy
- world premiere performance of 'Cuckmere: A Portrait' at the Brighton Festival on Saturday 5 May 2018 with expanded OSL - 18 players - at the ACCA, University of Sussex
- to work with GCSE and A1 Music students in East Sussex and Brighton and Hove to create new scores to Cesca Eaton's film
- to develop and perform student scores at the Brighton Festival on Sunday 6 May 2018 with the core 5 OSL players and all participating students
- to perform 'Cuckmere: A Portrait' in 5-player version to year 6 students at Southover C of E Primary School, Lewes and Ocklynge Junior School, Eastbourne, who took part in OSL's 2017 workshops
OSL is funded by Arts Council England to deliver the 'Cuckmere' project to students at Hastings Academy, St Richard's Catholic College, Bexhill, BHASVIC, Brighton and East Sussex Academy of Music, Lewes
Key aims for 2017:
- to develop a new score by Ed Hughes to new footage of Cuckmere Haven shot by film maker Cesca Eaton and photographer Fergus Kennedy
- to use extracts from Ed Hughes's new score as inspiration for a series of workshops in schools and colleges
- to develop new music with new silent film by students at schools and colleges in Sussex
OSL was funded by Arts Council England in 2017 to present a series of workshops in primaries, secondaries and sixthform colleges in Brighton, Lewes, Hastings and Eastbourne.
Key aims for 2015/16:
- to share the experience of ensemble playing by embedding all kinds of players – classical and non-classical – alongside our core of five top professional classical musicians
- to explore and promote the language of music and silent film
OSL was funded by Arts Council England in 2015-16 to present a series of workshops and two public concerts across Sussex ranging from primaries and secondaries in Brighton, Lewes and Hastings to sixthform colleges, and FE and HE including University of Sussex and BIMM.
In addition to its Arts Council-funded programme, OSL was invited by the Brighton Festival to premiere 'Brighton Symphony of a City' by Ed Hughes to a film by Lizzie Thynne on 11 May 2016. The OSL core players were joined by over 20 professional and 25 grade 8+ local students for a sold-out performance at Brighton Dome followed by a recording session for DVD release in Autumn 2017.
Photos:
Top: Southover C of E Primary School in Lewes, 23 June 2017
Middle: Hastings Academy, 19 May 2017
Bottom: East Sussex Academy of Music, 20 Feb 2018