The Project
The Beginning
In February 2008, Shrewsbury Folk Festival Directors Alan Surtees and Neil Pearson headed to Memphis, Tennessee for the North American Folk Alliance Conference. It was here they met with Ronnie Gurr from the Scottish Arts Council and found out about 'Burnsong,' a residential songwriting project he had worked on.
The long flight home saw Darwinian thoughts shaped, and by the time they landed Alan and Neil had the first outline of the Darwin Song Project. Darwin's huge scientific legacy, humankind's struggles with God and creation represent a rich source of material often been explored in literature, film and the media but rarely in song, and certainly not in the manner of the Darwin Song Project.
By May 2008, the Song House and artists were selected and contracted and the next seven months were spent securing funding and support.
The Reality
By May 2008, the Song House and artists were selected and contracted and the next seven months were spent securing funding and support.
The retreat started on March 13th 2009, and there was a concert premiere in the brand new Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury on March 19th. The concert was recorded for a CD release, and the artists will get together again at the end of August 2009 for a performance at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival.
BBC Radio 4 commissioned a documentary on the Project, first broadcast on 27th March 2009.
Please contact us for a full press release.
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