The London Climate Change Festival has announced Song For Nature, a specially created concert to raise awareness of Climate Change. Song For Nature was filmed over three days on stage at the London Coliseum, and all around this iconic building. It will be free for everyone to watch on Sky Arts on Earth Day, 22 April 2021 at 9.00pm.
This unique hybrid of dance, song, music and activism, features…Nathan Evans singing his No1 song, the sea shanty, Wellerman with the ENO Chorus, Brian May and Kerry Ellis singing a brand new song, and a stunning new arrangement of a well loved classic, Akram Khan performing an extract from DESH, accompanied by a choir of children singing Alleluia by Jocelyn Pook
Rob Brydon singing Lullaby with the ENO orchestra, Royal Ballet principal Marcelino Sambé performing a new solo choreographed by William Tuckett, Oscar winning composer Rachel Portman’s new piece, Earth Song, performed by the celebrated London Voices, Danielle De Niese singing a new composition by Hal Cazalet, Song For Nature, Sam Lee and his Nest Collective performing classic British folk songs to the accompaniment of nightingales.
Classic environmental texts spoken by David Suchet, Sheila Atim, Michelle Terry and Jonah Hauer King. NHS nurse and Britain’s Got Talent sensation Beth Porch singing Resolution Song, Gerald Finley singing from A Cunning Little Vixen with the ENO orchestra, A new company of young musical stars singing Stephen Sondheim’s Our Time. Will Todd’s renewal sung by the ENO Chorus
Each of them were filmed around the iconic London Coliseum over a hectic and thrilling three days of art and activism. The performance was envisioned by Dominic Dromgoole, with performance directed by Bill Buckhurst (Sweeney Todd), and the television capture directed by Ross MacGibbon (Uncle Vanya). The concert’s musical director was Stephen Higgins, its Lighting Designer was Paul Anderson, and Sound Designer was Paul Smith. The television capture was produced by stream.theatre.
20 months ago Janie Dee formed The London Climate Change Festival and set about organising a Festival for 8 weeks in March 2020. The country then went into lockdown. The ambition and energy of that first festival has now grown into this concert. Janie Dee said today, “It has been a year like no other. We have all, no doubt, realised the value and preciousness of life. To this end this concert, filmed, in place of a live event, displays a collection of great artists compelled to do what they can to focus on mending the Earth. Amongst may other examples of activism and goodwill across the world, it marks a time we shall never forget. We are given hope by the innovation and will-power of the activists and artists taking part in this concert”.
Former Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe, and co-Director Dominic Dromgoole said, ‘This extraordinary moment has proven a unique opportunity for all to reorganise priorities, and to find fresh ways of expressing what matters to us. This unprecedented blend of lyric dance, song, music and text, together with words both practical and polemical, will hopefully serve as testament to a troubling present and a hopeful future’.
