Sian Edwards

“The addition of a visionary, large-scale piece to the choral repertoire is very important in itself, but the idea of bringing local people into a project like this so that they can participate in its creation and, through their active involvement in it, 'own' the piece, is a wonderful way of breaking down the barriers to contemporary art.”

Sian Edwards (conductor) studied at the RNCM and with professor A.I. Musin at the Leningrad Conservatoire. She won the first Leeds Conductors’ Competition in 1984, and has since worked with many of the world’s leading orchestras. From 1993-1995 she was Music Director of ENO.

Melanie Pappenheim

Melanie Pappenheim (soloist) is a singer and performer, whose voice has inspired several contemporary composers including Gavin Bryars, Graham Fitkin, Damon Albarn, Orlando Gough, and long time collaborator Jocelyn Pook. She has sung on countless television and film scores, notably Gangs Of New York, Silent Witness, and Jane Eyre, and features on the soundtrack for Doctor Who, appearing in the first ever Doctor Who prom at the Royal Albert Hall in 2008. She has also composed music for plays, BBC radio dramas, sound installations and solo performance works.