An extraordinary mix of musicians from New York and Tyneside will join together for a very special commissioned piece, Subway Moon, to be performed during Gateshead International Jazz Festival at the end of March.
Conceived by New York composer and musician, Roy Nathanson, Subway Moon will showcase the result of months of creative energy from a huge ensemble of teenage lyricists, singers, rappers and musicians from both sides of the Atlantic. Subway Moon explores a shared experience of city living that is common to generations across the world as we bustle through the underground tunnels and it discovers the impact of subway culture through sound, music, words and video.
Work began on the project months ago when CoMusica students at The Sage Gateshead wrote the lyrics based on their experiences of Tyne & Wear’s Metro. They sent numerous songs to Roy Nathanson who has since worked on the music composition which will be played by The Sage Gateshead’s youth jazz ensemble, Jambone, and sang by Benfield School choir, Shotton Hall School’s choir and students from The Sage Gateshead's BA (Hons) Community Music course along with rapper Rick Fury. In addition, the CoMusica students along with students from New York are producing visual images to accompany the show.
Joining them on stage will be 25 young musicians from New York who are coming to The Sage Gateshead especially for the performance, as well professional musicians including beatboxer Napoleon Maddox and New York bands, The Jazz Passengers and Sotto Voce.
Ros Rigby, Performance Programme Director at The Sage Gateshead describes the project: “This is the largest scale participatory project we have ever staged for our annual jazz festival, and the most ambitious. This time not only our youth jazz ensemble, Jambone, are taking part but also young people less used to getting involved in major jazz events. They are also very excited to be meeting and performing with their counterparts from New York and the fantastic Jazz Passengers. Finally, it is great, given the theme, that this project also coincides with the thirtieth anniversary of the Tyne and Wear Metro.”
Roy Nathanson adds: "The real excitement of this project is now; it's hearing that the Tyneside songs really are taking shape, that the Chorus is learning them and that Jambone is kicking. My own kids in New York can't wait to get there and I'm just so curious to hear the pieces that we'll all play together, including my band Sotto Voce. We have come up with some great videos of the young people from New York to be shown throughout the event. One is called "I am a Warrior" and is an ode to the survival instincts of a New York city rat and of course has great rat footage. They are hilarious and visually beautiful; it will be something to see!"
This is going to be a huge production with ninety minutes of newly created fast-moving urban music and visuals. This is something that is exciting for everyone, not only in the region but the UK and worldwide and a great chance to share the cultural scene that NewcastleGateshead has to offer.
Subway Moon is on Sunday 27th March at 2:30pm
Tickets for Subway Moon are £7 from 0191 443 4661, at http://www.thesagegateshead.org/ or in person from The Sage Gateshead’s Ticket Office.
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