New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Founded by the late MP, the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness published in 2017 that in the UK alone, more than 9 million people often or always feel lonely. Bringing to the surface what is often referred to as "the silent disease", it spelled out clearly that across society, huge numbers of individuals were struggling to cope with isolation in a world which sees less and less human interaction. These findings have inspired composer Toni Castells to write his latest work, "Hhumann X", an exploration of the paradox of growing social isolation at a time of technological hyper-connectedness.
For the debut performance on 20th October at LSO St Luke's in London, Castells is collaborating with More Than Just A Choir, a community choir based in North London that works with people suffering from mental illness and social isolation. The choir helps its members build their confidence, whilst also connecting with the wider community. This collaboration is key to strengthen the meaning of the piece, bringing into the core of the performance these individuals who are overcoming social isolation through music and community.
The choir appears towards the end of the piece and they'll be unknowingly sitting amongst the audience before their entry. This staging metaphor is designed to strengthen the idea that isolation and mental illness are invisible to most of us.
About the Ensemble
The choir will be accompanied by a group of top classical musicians which configure a small ensemble of piano, violin, two cellos, live electronics, a soprano and a Persian singer. It includes Gramophone Magazine Editor's Choice classical stars José Menor (piano) and Harriet MacKenzie (violin). It also features Persian soprano
Honey Rouhani, daughter of the famous Iranian composer Mehran Rouhani.
About the Composer
Toni Castells is a British-naturalised composer currently based in London. His sonic worlds transpire an inherited precocious classical training with an inventive use of modern technologies to create unique and distinctive dreamy, cinematic and poetic soundscapes. His music has been described as "Morricone meets Satie" by Michael Haas, producer of prize-winning recordings with major classical artists including Zubin Mehta, Mstislav Rostropovich,
Daniel Barenboim,
Cecilia Bartoli and
Luciano Pavarotti. His music speaks to a wide public and goes well beyond standard music-magazine genre subdivisions. His works are too profound to be dismissed as pop music (though pop is an obvious influence) and far too deliberately communicative to belong to any traditional contemporary schools of composition.
Premiere: 20th October at 8pm at LSO St Luke's, 161 Old St, London EC1V 9NG
Website: https://www.tonicastells.com
