- An Aberdeen Art Gallery-soundfestival co-commission for the reopening of Aberdeen Art Gallery, The Big Picture was premiered in the 2019 soundfestival
- The Big Picture is shortlisted in the Community and Participation category of prestigious awards
The Big Picture, a choral work by the Master of the Queen’s Music, Judith Weir CBE, has been nominated for a prestigious Ivors Composer Awards it was announced today, 3 November 2020. Commissioned for the reopening of Aberdeen Art Gallery following a major refurbishment, the work was premiered on Saturday 2 November 2019 as part of soundfestival.
Performed over three levels of the atrium of Aberdeen Art Gallery, the Big Picture brought together over 90 amateur singers including primary school pupils, children from Big Noise Torry, singers from Aberdeen City Music School and Con Anima choir as well as three instrumentalists. The performance was conducted by Roger Williams.
“We are thrilled that The Big Picture has been shortlisted for these prestigious awards,” says Fiona Robertson, Director of sound.
“It is particularly important for us that the piece is being recognised in the Community and Participation category. It was conceived as celebration of Aberdeen’s creativity bringing together performers of all ages and abilities from across the city.”
“Our long-term partnership with Aberdeen Art Gallery has been very important to soundfestival, so for a work that we co-commissioned to be recognised is the icing on the cake,” she adds.
The Big Picture features five movements: Green, setting of a text attributed to Henry VIII; Blue, setting of a text by Wallace Stevens; Gold, setting of a text by Robert Frost; Red and White, setting of a text by John Boyle O'Reilly and Colour, setting of a text by Christina Rosetti.
A film of the performance was shown as part of the recent soundfestival 2020 with an associated Q&A with Judith Weir in which she revealed that she hoped the piece could be restaged in Aberdeen.
See the film: https://youtu.be/uFvUfcIoDBI
The winners of the awards will be announced on the evening of 1 December in a programme on BBC Radio 3.
For further information contact Lesley Booth: 07799414474 / lesley@newcenturypr.com
