Group A

Group A have debuted their brand new song to close First Light, Lowestoft, an annual 24-hour festival on the beach, celebrating the shortest night of the year! The children and young people made excellent use of my collection of Hex Box synthesisers and mini-amps, creating a very noisy promenade on their way to the stage followed by a 15-minute show of their work, taking in free jazz-inspired bass clarinet, 909 drums, piano and a string quartet – all under a magnificent blue sky, a welcome sight after the tremendous rain and lightening the night before!

Group A is a vocal initiative run by Britten Pears Arts for 8-18-year-olds in Suffolk meeting bi-weekly throughout the year. Across a number of sessions between Feb-June 2022 I was a guest composer – supported by music leaders Aga Serugo Lugo, Andi Hopgood, Alfie Carpenter and Charly Webber – working to create and perform a new work with 40 participants in Ipswich and Lowestoft. We had lots of fun making soundscapes and songs across 10 sessions, including a sharing session on the main stage at Snape Maltings concert hall.

With thanks BRIT Trust & Trinity College London for their support.