The Artists
Every Wednesday afternoon at the hospice a group of up to 12 people aged between 35 and 50 meet to share their worries, to laugh, and to cry. Most, but not all, have some form of cancer. Their wit, honesty, and turns of phrase make them the joint writers of this song.
Orlando Gough is one of the UK's most important composers for ballet, contemporary dance and theatrical projects. Collaborators have included Siobhan Davies, Alain Platel, Shobana Jeyasingh and Ashley Page of The Royal Ballet. He was Time Out Classical Artist of the Year 2001. He is co-composer with Richard Chew of music for The Shout, a multi-stylistic professional choir.
Works by Orlando Gough include: Tall Stories (2001) a staged song-cycle for choir about immigration to New York in the early 20th century, co-composed with Richard Chew; Saeta written for choreographer Ashley Page of The Royal Ballet, London; Late written for choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh. English National Opera commissioned a 20-minute work for 2000 amateur singers for the re-opening of the London Coliseum in January 2004.
The Shout is a blueprint for 21st-century choral singing
-- The Times
Chris Rawlence is Artist-in-Residence at Greenwich & Bexley Cottage, where he developed Position Vacant with The Wednesday Group and Orlando Gough. He is also a film maker, librettist, writer, Co-Creative Director of Rosetta Requiem, and Director of Video for Rosetta Life.
