Out of Place

‘Out of Place’ is a one-off gala performance of new musical works on Monday 3rd July 2017 at 8pm at the Actors’ Church in London (St Paul’s Covent Garden).  The Out of Place Project explores how contemporary poetry on the themes of displacement and new beginnings can be used as an inspiration for musical composition. This has been a 6 month process which culminates in this evening’s performance. 

The project also supports independent journalism by raising funds for the Rory Peck Trust at the performance on 3rd July through the sale of booklets containing copies of the poems that inspired us. The booklet features original illustrations commissioned from the artist Andy Hitchen.

The performance will also feature the familiar face and glorious voice of actor Annette Badland as our reader as well as a few very special surprise guest artists and speakers. 

The History of the Show: 

My name is Nicola Burnett Smith and in late 2016 I invited poets to submit new writing on the theme ‘Out of Place’. Simultaneously I asked 4 other female composer-musicians to join me in creating a quintet: they are Gemma Storr, Sarah Woolfenden and Marianne Johnson with singer Sarah Lambie. Between us we play over 16 different instruments as well as compose music and sing.

We chose to write music to 11 poems from a shortlist of 19 chosen from a total of 78 that were submitted by 33 poets from all over the UK and the world.