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Great Circle
The Call to be the first by Nick Hart Based on the stories of three of the sailors in the 1968 Golden Globe Single Handed World Circumnavigation, ‘Great Circle’ explores the extraordinary strength, passions and resolution of those who heard the siren call to pit themselves against power of the world’s most feared oceans – and of those who stayed behind, watching and waiting. The cantata reflects the triumph and the tragedy of sailors and families, storms and doldrums and the aching void of separation from human contact. That only one sailor finished the ordeal – Sir Robin Knox Johnston, who sailed into the history books – makes this a compelling narrative in its own right. The work, commissioned by The National Maritime Museum (Falmouth) will be performed by the award winning choir Canoryon Lowen, directed by the composer Nick Hart, himself an experienced liveaboard sailor, for whom creating this work has been a bitter-sweet labour of love, and by co-director Janet Wright. The choir will be joined by the celebrated Cornish duo Katie Kirk and Rick Williams with their own interpretation of the songs of separation written by Nick. The performance will be in promenade form, with the audience and choir able to move around the extraordinary space that is the Falmouth Maritime Museum, using projected images and narration by local actor Kevin Kibbey. The full text of the cantata is in the pdf below: |
| great_circle_text.pdf |
| programme_great_circle.pdf |
Feedback
Belatedly – thank you so much for last night. Nick’s production was amazing – Polly and I were both talking about it all the way back …. what a terrific production! ….. I hope you’re truly proud of an impressive work of art. And a great collaboration – you have got me thinking……Gordon Seabright CEO Eden ….
I have to say that both my mum and I though the concert was just wonderful – the music was absolutely lovely and the singing really was uplifting! Please do pass on my thanks to Nick. It also brought back some very poignant memories of my father (he spent many years at sea) particularly for my mother. Nicola Moyle Head of Heritage, Art and Film
Economic Development, Plymouth City Council
Plymouth Museums Galleries Archives
Congratulations on last night’s moving and poignant performance. Your writing certainly laid bare the inner turmoil that can beset the lone sailor. Particularly effective was the siren call, in both the spine tingling and haunting music, and how it was staged. The women’s ‘widow maker’ chorus was also very effective. Katie Kirk’s singing was a joy...and didn’t the children do well..very good professional and unfussy movement around the stage.What a perfect setting! A very memorable performance. Thank you...and well done! John (Batey)
What an absolute triumph! Many many congratulations on a wonderful performance! We all thoroughly enjoyed it, and the standing ovation said it all! It was played and sung beautifully - and so true to the characters that you portrayed. WELL DONE Thank you for giving us such an entertaining evening! Heugh and Fi
Literally just walked in the door, but really want to say how much I (we, the audience) enjoyed this evening’s musical entrancement. To say that it was extraordinary would be a serious understatement! Swept up, swept away, lifted up, dropped deep within a maelstrom of music that crashed in upon us, wrenching our very souls, then spitting us out wrecked, wretched and overwhelmed, yet safely cradled in the bosom of the ocean of sound! No doubt, as it’s creator, there were details which you alone would notice, but as the premiere audience (that’s premiere, not premier!) we were stunned by the sheer elegance, breadth and depth of your work, likewise by the way in which it was performed. The atmospheric venue was of course most advantageous, but your music filled the whole of that vast space with apparent ease. At the end the silence was deafening, as the audience held its collective breath, not really wishing to applaud too soon, so as to appreciate and savour the beauty of the ending. Parts reminded me of Britten, or Taverner (but you know how good (!) my understanding of music really is), but everything carried your own inimitable stamp of minimum notes to produce maximum effect. (That really is meant in a most positive sense!). There were several moments of rapid emotional swings, at least one of which almost brought tears to this old, rough, tough guy’s eyes, and we all came away feeling that we had been not just entertained but also most definitely enlightened and educated (Moliere’s “plaire et instruire”). Truly a most amazing evening! Thank you (all) for allowing us to share this stunning experience! Best Wishes David Turner.
Thanks again for getting Katie & me involved in the Great Circle. I felt genuinely privileged to be part of it! It was great to hear it coming together & I'm glad the performance went so well. The race itself is a piece of history that I've been fascinated with for many years & I would've gone along as an audience member if I hadn't been involved. The music was inspiring, stirring & original throughout & the sensitive & poetic way you treated the story was a joy to witness. All in all a genuinely awesome piece of work, Nick.... I hope that won't be the only time it gets performed, certainly deserves a wider audience & I feel very lucky to have been there. Rick Williams
It has truly been an amazing privilege and experience to sing in Great Circle and to be singing your original work. It’s an experience that I’m sure will stay with the children always and I imagine as they grow up they will realise how lucky they were to experience such a thing. I had lots of amazing feedback. People were really blown away by the performance and were saying things like ‘it absolutely must be performed again’, ‘usually I get a bit distracted in performances and my mind will wander off on occasions, but I was totally captivated for the whole evening’, ‘it was better than I even thought it was going to be’ and so on. Vicky Brown - performer
Our friends who are opera buffs, raved about it. They have suggested that it is toured round the major sailing centres. Other suggestions have been Greenwich or the Cutty Sark. Euan Hunter - performer
Such an incredibly moving performance, in such a special setting - with incredible visuals that really swept you along with the journey .. and wow what a group of performers you pulled together, I was utterly spellbound by the sirens, the children, Katie and Rick … I’m definitely going to become a groupie of theirs! I can’t imagine what it must have felt like hearing it come alive last night, in front of a (hugely appreciative) audience, thank you so much for offering me the chance to be part of it all. Tia Tamblyn - performer
Brilliant writing and musical composition - Jane Mutch - performer
Thanks again for inviting us to be a part of this epic tale. It was an honour to play a part in the telling of those moving stories, to sing your music and to be surrounded by such talent. How wonderful to have brass, strings, adults and children's voices, not to mention projections and a highly appropriate setting. My top favourite bit was the surround-sound sopranos singing their dischords… wuh! Occasionally a piece of music does more than give me goose-bumps... I am not a religious person, nor am I well versed in yoga or the study of chakra... but there are some rare, special times when it is as though an aperture appears in the top of my head and an energised shard, or column of light connects me to... well 'the heavens' is the closest phrase I have to hand. Its a tangible, radiant, more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts precious sensation. I'd like to thank you for the composition and the sopranos behind me for that wonderful experience at such close range - truly amazing! Katie Kirk
Just a short (Sorry belated) note to congratulate you on an excellent concert: Very thought-provoking and moving. Especially in that setting. Choir performed brilliantly. All elements gelled well together to create a meaningful polished performance. I hope you'll get the opportunity to repeat somewhere else. Is there an equivalent venue in Plymouth? Well done and thanks for inviting me. Chris Howarth, Musical Director East Cornwall Bach Choir
The premiere was a huge success. Nick’s production was both brilliant and bold and Canoryon Lowen’s performance was breath-taking. Katie Kirk and Rick Williams were also on great form, contributing their own interpretation of the songs of separation written by Nick Hart. From a purely selfish point of view I was thrilled with the acoustics in our building but I’m sure that had as much to do with some of the technical wizardry Nick brought in. In fact I thought the performance brought the space to life in a way we have never achieved before. Nick had film footage screened on the curved wall and images of the race contestants projected onto the sails of some the dinghies in the hall (I was very impressed). Richard (Doughty) Director National Maritime Museum Cornwall
I would like to express my appreciation to you and your choir for the incredibly moving performance of ‘Great Circle’ last weekend. From the opening notes it was obvious that you were going to take us on an emotional musical journey heightened by the stunning visuals and we were swept along by the choir’s tremendous skill, versatility and energy to navigate and carry us with them through the ‘highs and lows’. The beautiful contribution from Katie and Rick added a smooth and sensuous poignancy. And at the end, that most amazing dip of silence, the holding of breath, the savouring of all that we had shared together became almost unbearable before the applause and the very well deserved standing ovation. Well done Nick, I love your work and I hope I will have another opportunity of hearing it. Warmest wishes, Sally
Nick and I really enjoyed the Great Circle last Saturday. An amazing work, you must be very proud of it. Fantastically performed by all concerned. We do hope that you are planning to put it on again sometime soon. There are so many people that we have spoken to who, having heard all the positive comments from those who heard it, would love to have the chance to do so themselves. I know we are probably rather biased, and proud of our family, but we enjoyed every moment, from the sirens to that beautifully haunting finish. With best wishes, Nick and Alison Maiklem.
And thanks also for the card and your kind words, it has been absolute pleasure working on this project, such a poignant score, sung so beautiful by all and to see how it all came together in the space on the night was incredibly rewarding. Dom Weeks - Projection Design
Here is a link to Dom Weeks's website with a short video of the concert
Belatedly – thank you so much for last night. Nick’s production was amazing – Polly and I were both talking about it all the way back …. what a terrific production! ….. I hope you’re truly proud of an impressive work of art. And a great collaboration – you have got me thinking……Gordon Seabright CEO Eden ….
I have to say that both my mum and I though the concert was just wonderful – the music was absolutely lovely and the singing really was uplifting! Please do pass on my thanks to Nick. It also brought back some very poignant memories of my father (he spent many years at sea) particularly for my mother. Nicola Moyle Head of Heritage, Art and Film
Economic Development, Plymouth City Council
Plymouth Museums Galleries Archives
Congratulations on last night’s moving and poignant performance. Your writing certainly laid bare the inner turmoil that can beset the lone sailor. Particularly effective was the siren call, in both the spine tingling and haunting music, and how it was staged. The women’s ‘widow maker’ chorus was also very effective. Katie Kirk’s singing was a joy...and didn’t the children do well..very good professional and unfussy movement around the stage.What a perfect setting! A very memorable performance. Thank you...and well done! John (Batey)
What an absolute triumph! Many many congratulations on a wonderful performance! We all thoroughly enjoyed it, and the standing ovation said it all! It was played and sung beautifully - and so true to the characters that you portrayed. WELL DONE Thank you for giving us such an entertaining evening! Heugh and Fi
Literally just walked in the door, but really want to say how much I (we, the audience) enjoyed this evening’s musical entrancement. To say that it was extraordinary would be a serious understatement! Swept up, swept away, lifted up, dropped deep within a maelstrom of music that crashed in upon us, wrenching our very souls, then spitting us out wrecked, wretched and overwhelmed, yet safely cradled in the bosom of the ocean of sound! No doubt, as it’s creator, there were details which you alone would notice, but as the premiere audience (that’s premiere, not premier!) we were stunned by the sheer elegance, breadth and depth of your work, likewise by the way in which it was performed. The atmospheric venue was of course most advantageous, but your music filled the whole of that vast space with apparent ease. At the end the silence was deafening, as the audience held its collective breath, not really wishing to applaud too soon, so as to appreciate and savour the beauty of the ending. Parts reminded me of Britten, or Taverner (but you know how good (!) my understanding of music really is), but everything carried your own inimitable stamp of minimum notes to produce maximum effect. (That really is meant in a most positive sense!). There were several moments of rapid emotional swings, at least one of which almost brought tears to this old, rough, tough guy’s eyes, and we all came away feeling that we had been not just entertained but also most definitely enlightened and educated (Moliere’s “plaire et instruire”). Truly a most amazing evening! Thank you (all) for allowing us to share this stunning experience! Best Wishes David Turner.
Thanks again for getting Katie & me involved in the Great Circle. I felt genuinely privileged to be part of it! It was great to hear it coming together & I'm glad the performance went so well. The race itself is a piece of history that I've been fascinated with for many years & I would've gone along as an audience member if I hadn't been involved. The music was inspiring, stirring & original throughout & the sensitive & poetic way you treated the story was a joy to witness. All in all a genuinely awesome piece of work, Nick.... I hope that won't be the only time it gets performed, certainly deserves a wider audience & I feel very lucky to have been there. Rick Williams
It has truly been an amazing privilege and experience to sing in Great Circle and to be singing your original work. It’s an experience that I’m sure will stay with the children always and I imagine as they grow up they will realise how lucky they were to experience such a thing. I had lots of amazing feedback. People were really blown away by the performance and were saying things like ‘it absolutely must be performed again’, ‘usually I get a bit distracted in performances and my mind will wander off on occasions, but I was totally captivated for the whole evening’, ‘it was better than I even thought it was going to be’ and so on. Vicky Brown - performer
Our friends who are opera buffs, raved about it. They have suggested that it is toured round the major sailing centres. Other suggestions have been Greenwich or the Cutty Sark. Euan Hunter - performer
Such an incredibly moving performance, in such a special setting - with incredible visuals that really swept you along with the journey .. and wow what a group of performers you pulled together, I was utterly spellbound by the sirens, the children, Katie and Rick … I’m definitely going to become a groupie of theirs! I can’t imagine what it must have felt like hearing it come alive last night, in front of a (hugely appreciative) audience, thank you so much for offering me the chance to be part of it all. Tia Tamblyn - performer
Brilliant writing and musical composition - Jane Mutch - performer
Thanks again for inviting us to be a part of this epic tale. It was an honour to play a part in the telling of those moving stories, to sing your music and to be surrounded by such talent. How wonderful to have brass, strings, adults and children's voices, not to mention projections and a highly appropriate setting. My top favourite bit was the surround-sound sopranos singing their dischords… wuh! Occasionally a piece of music does more than give me goose-bumps... I am not a religious person, nor am I well versed in yoga or the study of chakra... but there are some rare, special times when it is as though an aperture appears in the top of my head and an energised shard, or column of light connects me to... well 'the heavens' is the closest phrase I have to hand. Its a tangible, radiant, more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts precious sensation. I'd like to thank you for the composition and the sopranos behind me for that wonderful experience at such close range - truly amazing! Katie Kirk
Just a short (Sorry belated) note to congratulate you on an excellent concert: Very thought-provoking and moving. Especially in that setting. Choir performed brilliantly. All elements gelled well together to create a meaningful polished performance. I hope you'll get the opportunity to repeat somewhere else. Is there an equivalent venue in Plymouth? Well done and thanks for inviting me. Chris Howarth, Musical Director East Cornwall Bach Choir
The premiere was a huge success. Nick’s production was both brilliant and bold and Canoryon Lowen’s performance was breath-taking. Katie Kirk and Rick Williams were also on great form, contributing their own interpretation of the songs of separation written by Nick Hart. From a purely selfish point of view I was thrilled with the acoustics in our building but I’m sure that had as much to do with some of the technical wizardry Nick brought in. In fact I thought the performance brought the space to life in a way we have never achieved before. Nick had film footage screened on the curved wall and images of the race contestants projected onto the sails of some the dinghies in the hall (I was very impressed). Richard (Doughty) Director National Maritime Museum Cornwall
I would like to express my appreciation to you and your choir for the incredibly moving performance of ‘Great Circle’ last weekend. From the opening notes it was obvious that you were going to take us on an emotional musical journey heightened by the stunning visuals and we were swept along by the choir’s tremendous skill, versatility and energy to navigate and carry us with them through the ‘highs and lows’. The beautiful contribution from Katie and Rick added a smooth and sensuous poignancy. And at the end, that most amazing dip of silence, the holding of breath, the savouring of all that we had shared together became almost unbearable before the applause and the very well deserved standing ovation. Well done Nick, I love your work and I hope I will have another opportunity of hearing it. Warmest wishes, Sally
Nick and I really enjoyed the Great Circle last Saturday. An amazing work, you must be very proud of it. Fantastically performed by all concerned. We do hope that you are planning to put it on again sometime soon. There are so many people that we have spoken to who, having heard all the positive comments from those who heard it, would love to have the chance to do so themselves. I know we are probably rather biased, and proud of our family, but we enjoyed every moment, from the sirens to that beautifully haunting finish. With best wishes, Nick and Alison Maiklem.
And thanks also for the card and your kind words, it has been absolute pleasure working on this project, such a poignant score, sung so beautiful by all and to see how it all came together in the space on the night was incredibly rewarding. Dom Weeks - Projection Design
Here is a link to Dom Weeks's website with a short video of the concert
Carry My Love by Nick Hart arranged and sung by Katie Kirk and Rick Williams
Clip The Cringles by Nick Hart