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NIGHT SHIFT

CONNECT: The audience as artist

Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

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“When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer.” Bottom, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

The London Sinfonietta invites you to become part of an evening of sound and play in Night Shift by Cathy Milliken. Here dreams, visions, and love meet ecology and walls. The audience joins musicians of the London Sinfonietta, conductor Jonathan Stockhammer, the City Lit Inclusive Choir and Sing Tower Hamlets, and soloists Michael Schiefel and Helena Rasker. Together, we embark on a musical exploration of Milliken's boundary-breaking score, inspired by texts from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. All audience members are provided with sound-making objects, and guided gently as one connected group through an engaging, relaxed evening of collaborative listening and performance.

The wall that separates Shakespeare's ill-fated lovers proves to be a mere illusion, much like the imaginary wall that separates public from performers. Join in and make new sounds and music with us, or simply relax and listen - either way, expect an unforgettable night of musical adventure.

Part of Connect, a series dedicated to involving the public as creators and performers, this is a concert experience like none other.

Cathy Milliken  Night Shift (World premiere of the extended version)

Helena Rasker  soloist
Michael Schiefel  soloist
City Lit Inclusive Choir
Sing Tower Hamlets

Jonathan Stockhammer  conductor
London Sinfonietta

Night Shift: Preview

Last year in November, Cathy Milliken led some workshops with the City Lit Inclusive Choir and Sing Tower Hamlets, in preparation for the concert in March. We caught up with the composer to find out more about her new piece and the audience's role on the night, and we also asked members of Sing Tower Hamlets on their workshop experience and how they feel about taking part in Night Shift.

It really is about everyone in the hall making music together... a huge democracy. There’s no one sound on the cello that is more important than the sound of a piece of paper right in the far left corner. So it’s about getting rid of that wall that’s dividing. Cathy Milliken

Night Shift received its world premiere in Berlin last year with Ensemble Modern, followed by a performance in Porto by Remix Ensemble Casa da Música. Explore some photos from each concert for a taste of what you might expect in our performance at the Southbank Centre. 

There are elements of the performance that we don't know how they will go but the audience will determine how it goes with their answers and they're filling in our poetry... Jonathan Stockhammer
Produced by the London Sinfonietta in association with Ensemble Modern, Remix Ensemble Casa da Música and Asko|Schönberg
Supported by the Southbank Centre. CONNECT – The Audience as artist is an initiative funded by ART MENTOR FOUNDATION LUCERNE in collaboration with London Sinfonietta, Ensemble Modern, Asko|Schönberg and Remix Ensemble Casa da Música
With the friendly support of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation
The work of the London Sinfonietta is supported by the John Ellerman Foundation.
The London Sinfonietta is a member of ACE's National Portfolio of Organisations and is grateful for the ongoing support it receives.
  • Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation

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