Gerald Finley is part of an all-star cast for the London Climate Change Festival’s Song for Nature Concert. He will be performing selections from A Cunning Little Vixen with the English National Opera Orchestra. The concert was specially created to raise awareness of Climate Change. It will be available in The UK on Sky Arts on Earth Day, 22 April, 2021 at 21:00 BST.
The concert was 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’.
Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts and Entertainment, said, “At Sky we’re committed to a zero carbon future and keenly aware of the need for all of us to take urgent action to keep our world alive. So we are delighted to be the broadcast home of this unique event which will look at the issues and at what we can all do to help, all while providing an incredible evening of world class entertainment.”
SONG FOR NATURE CONCERT will also feature performances by
- 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
- A new company of young musical stars singing Stephen Sondheim’s Our Time
- Will Todd’s renewal sung by the ENO Chorus
And Contributions from some of the foremost environmental activists of today, including
- Bella Lack – Youth ambassador for The Born Free Foundation.
- Natalie Fee from City to Sea and authoress of ‘How to Save the World for Free’.
- Rokiah Yaman from MadLeap.
- Dr Chantelle Rizan and Dr Helen Kingston, two leading voices in the new marriage of health care and enviromnental responsibility
- Hannah Peck from Cool Earth
- Stuart Ramsay from Sky News, whose reports of the global consequences of climate change will be included in the programme.
- Abbey Wright who has spear-headed the effort to get one song, the Resolution Song, to be sung all over the world.