Telling Stories and Forming Identities

Available for 29 days

Nothing expresses the human spirit better than the human voice and the collective singing experience magnifies this a thousand times. No-one knows this better than Sofi Jeannin, Chief Conductor of BBC Singers and the famous children’s choir the Maitrise de Radio France. Over her career she has worked with singers across all ages and genres and has an unparalleled knowledge of music for choruses, choirs and community singing. In this first episode Sofi explores singing together as a vehicle for storytelling - the music which entertains us as well as telling our own human story. Her exploration ranges From Verdi's famous Va Pensiero chorus which was sung spontaneously as the composer's cortege passed through the streets of Italy to the folk music of Corsican farmers and the shanties of Cornish fishermen. She revisits Haydn's colourful story-telling in his Oratorios and sheds light on Corpus Christi, with Cat and Mouse; a whimsical showpiece by Peter Maxwell Davies featuring rhymes, puzzles, horticultural advice and recipes as well as an intervention by a Cat and Mouse. Sofi also highlights the importance of songs as a vehicle for social justice through the work of Gabriela Lena Frank in Mexico which encourages young Latino children to take pride in their culture. Trad/Quartel - How Can I Keep from Singing Trad - Uti Vår Hage Verdi -Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from Nabucco Trad - A Paghjella di l’Impiccati Tormis - Curse Upon Iron Sibelius - Finlandia Trad - Drunken Sailor Smyth - March of the Women Jacquet - Tricotez les fillettes de France Williams - World without End Cantata Haydn - The Heavens are Telling from The Creation Maxwell Davies - Corpus Christi with Cat & Mouse Frank -Chicano-phobia from Jalapeno Blues Trad. - Oshanna Trad. -Nkolo na biso Yesu Beethoven - Symphony No. 9 Presenter: Sofi Jeannin Producer: Lindsay Pell