On 3 February, the Hall at Univ was converted into a concert venue for “Voices for Peace”. This was a joint Chapel Choir and Martlet Voices collaboration featuring a World Premiere by Bruce Adolphe.

Bruce Adolphe, the celebrated American composer who was in residence at Univ for the days surrounding the concert, wrote a piece for choir and solo cello (played by Richard Tunnicliffe) last year in response to a poem by Pireeni Sundaralingam, Univ’s own Poet Laureate. The piece is entitled “Lot’s Wives” and speaks of Pireeni’s personal experience of growing up in Sri Lanka during the civil war.

The piece was accompanied by other works about the response to war and disenfranchisement and the striving for peace in our troubled world. The music was interspersed with readings of poetry by Pireeni herself as well as student poets, Sahar Malaika and Dylan Squires.

The professional singers of Martlet Voices were joined by a number of student singers, and all joined forces for large works by Parry, Howells and Richard Rodney Bennett, as well as Bruce Adolphe’s wonderfully powerful new piece. Hopefully this will be the beginning of a fruitful relationship with Bruce, who is planning a new piece to do with Shelley; initially inspired by Bruce’s stay in Shelley’s old rooms in Univ!

Published: 19 April 2024

Explore Univ on social media