Join world-renowned singer/song leader Moira Smiley from the US in Bath for an afternoon and evening immersed in incredible old songs and inventive, joyous new sounds.
“An impeccable musician, gracious, collaborative, kind and open”
Moira Smiley is a Grammy-nominated singer, composer, and educator renowned for her mastery of the voice and ability to inspire singers of all levels. Moira is a celebrated educator, teaching at leading musical institutions and inspiring singers of all backgrounds. She’s published over 100 choral works that are sung by millions of singers worldwide. With a deep respect for the cultural roles of singing, Moira blends teaching, composing, and performing to empower communities and celebrate the transformative power of music.
2:30 – 5:30pm Singing workshop with Moira Smiley
Joyous, multi-layered singing, unusual folk songs, vocal freedom, movement & creativity
Discover and develop flexibility within your own voice and range – both technically and artistically. Moira will lead warm-ups, musical games, and the singing of new and old folk songs in rich vocal harmony. The workshop is open to singers of all levels and ages.
7:30 – 9:30pm Moira Smiley, Rhizome String Quartet and Rolling Harmony in concert
In a special collaboration, the evening concert will feature songs from Moira’s Rhizome Projectalbum, performed with string quartet and Rolling Harmony vocal ensemble.
The Rhizome Project features ancient and original folk songs for soprano, string quartet and vocal ensemble, blending folk repertoire with classical instrumentation. The project celebrates the songs that shaped Moira as a young musician, and the ferocious, multi-textural power of a string quartet to surround these songs in storytelling splendor. Threaded through the ‘chamber-folk’ feeling of the album is Moira’s clear voice, wrapped in arrangements that are simultaneously minimalist and lush, reminding us of our shared ‘sugar-in-the-ground’ — an unsentimental, underground connectivity that defies a divisive era.
Hosted by Jane Harris, Songways
