Composer Liz Lane has been busy during the lockdown period by becoming involved in two major projects which have recently culminated in a collaboration with Cory principal cornet Tom Hutchinson.

Bluebird

The first has seen her team up with international soprano Belinda Evans to spearhead an initiative called 'Bluebird'.

It has resulted in a series of miniature songs inspired by the words of Carole Bent who promised herself during the current Coronavirus Pandemic lockdown that she would 'look up' each day to admire the beauty of the sky, the birds, the bees, the sun, the rain and the stars and even the occasional vapour trail left by a plane.

'Look Up', 'Bluebird Adagio', 'Sounds', 'Bird of Paradise' and 'Tree of Life' capture the feelings and observations in music with words by poets such as Jennifer Henderson, Norman Bissell and a lockdown film collaboration with animator Gary Andrews and his two children.

Darkest Night

The sixth in the Bluebird series is called 'Darkest Night', which Liz wrote at the request of colleague Aga Serugo Lugo from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance in London for an equally inventive Twitter project entitled, #SetOperaFree, becoming the first part of a mini-opera called 'The Party's Over' based on a game of consequence.

That sees 30 composers from around the globe write a 2 minute aria — each leading on from each other to make a series of 10 arias to make up 20 minute free-thought improvised mini-operas.

It works by seeing the first composer takes a subject matter of their choice and write their short aria. The next composer takes on the consequences and adds their own aria to move the libretto storyline along — and in a completely new direction if they want.

A further nine arias later and the mini-opera should reach its denouement — one that could take a multitude of pathways along its course.

Huge success

Launched on the weekend, 'Darkest Night' has already been a huge success, with Liz teaming up with singer Belinda Evans, lyricist Andy Rashleigh, illustrator and video creator Gary Andrews and Tom Hutchinson.

Liz told 4BR: "I met online with Tom and we experimented with some of the cornet ideas (listen out for 'a musical twig snaps'); Belinda recorded first and Tom added his playing. I had used lockdown to learn some basic audio and video editing so pieced together the two parts before handing audio over to Gary to create the most beautiful illustration and video.

It was a very different compositional experience, knowing that I had to take into account editing two parts together of people who had never met and rehearsed, and also that as Belinda lives in a London flat, she was often restricted as to when she could record!

'Darkest Night' has already been a huge success, with Liz teaming up with singer Belinda Evans, lyricist Andy Rashleigh, illustrator and video creator Gary Andrews and Tom Hutchinson4BR

Response

Liz added: "We are thrilled with the response to 'Darkest Night' which to date has received over 4.4K views on Twitter and 1.8K on Facebook.

We also have exciting plans and ideas for more Bluebirds, including working with an Open University music group in Blaenau Gwent and a canal trust. If anyone has any collaborations they'd like to suggest, please do get in touch!"

Find out more

facebook.com/bluebirdcollaborative
https://twitter.com/bluebirdcollab/status/1279374468226396160?s=21