BBC - Symphony Orchestra - Learning

SWARM
A new vocal piece composed by Orlando Gough and performed by 100 amateur singers and members of
The Shout during the BBC SO's January Composer Weekend.

What was SWARM all about?

SWARM was an event inspired not so much by the music but by the philosophy of the composer Sofia Gubaidulina, whose music was celebrated by the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican on 12 - 14 January 2007.

SWARM was about the behavious of crowds - the madness of crowds, the wisdom of crowds. Violence and prayer. One hundred-odd singers moved through the foyer of the Barbican, walking, marching, swarming - sometimes benevolent, sometimes angry, sometimes inspired, sometimes spellbound. They sang, chanted, whispered, shouted, laughed, and cried.

The performers:
One hundred volunteer amateur singers from all around the UK.
Five singers from The Shout – Adey Grummet, Melanie Pappenheim, Carol Grimes, Jonathan Williams, Jeremy Birchall.

Orlando Gough, leading SWARM project