15th January
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7.30pm
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Hoxton Hall
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15th January ⋆ 7.30pm ⋆ Hoxton Hall ⋆
SOUNDS LIKE HOME
tHE MUSIC OF BELONGING
The gig
Hoxton’s resident Sounds Like Home choir, an open-access international women's choir comprised of women of all backgrounds, ages and abilities, will open sharing songs that remind them of the places they’ve called home.
During the interval, audience members are invited to anonymously write their own memories of home on slips of paper and place them in a bucket on the stage.
In the second half, pianist and improviser Yshani Perinpanayagam will perform a series of short solo piano pieces by composers musing on their homes and homelands, and intersperse them with newly improvised pieces based on audiences suggestions, drawn from the bucket as she goes.
Approximate duration: 1h45 including interval
The Aim
Sounds Like Home is an everyone-is-welcome interactive gig exploring the music, memories and feelings of where each of us calls home:
We want raise money for Medical Aid for Palestinians as the genocide in Palestine continues, remaining unforgivably unchecked by our global powers; all proceeds from ticket sales will go to MAP.
We want to encourage actively searching out connection between us - the people - through alternative and creative means.
We want the event to be inclusive; tickets are pay-what-you-can. For those of you who feel more comfortable having a suggested donation, perhaps consider £10-20, but there is no pressure to adhere to this range.
Come together to exchange stories, to connect and to listen, transforming memories and dreams into sounds we can all share in. Continue the conversation in the your seats, the aisles, the bar and beyond; the way we tell our stories and amplify those of others makes a difference 🇵🇸
the Artists
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Choir‘Sounds Like Home’ is an open-access international women's choir, celebrating Hackney's diverse voices through the personal and political resonance of song. It invites women of all backgrounds, ages and abilities to share and sing the songs that remind them of the places they’ve called home. Together we explore the origin, language and context of the music that has shaped who we are and where we’re from. We exchange stories, lyrics and melodies, and sing our way around the world. The group has been meeting weekly since January 2024 and is made up of 40 regular members, with sessions at Hoxton Hall and past performances at the Migration Museum, St Margaret's House, Centre 151 and Frampton Park Baptist Church. The project is run by Ellen Muriel, with assistance from Asha Wilson and Molly McKenna. it was originally commissioned by Counterpoints Arts and has been supported by Old Street Community Pot, Hackney Council and Arts Council England.
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Pianist, ImproviserYshani is a pianist, conductor and composer known for the breadth of her artistry across genres and disciplines. She has performed at venues from Wigmore Hall to the London Palladium, at events from Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival to the All Your Bass Festival, and with artists from the Philharmonia to Kate Nash.
As an improviser, she has played with the Oliver-award winning Showstopper! the Improvised Musical, The Comedy Store Players, Mischief Movie Night, Paul Merton & Suki Webster, Nina Conti, Austentatious and Rambert Dance Company.
Medical Aid for Palestinians
[from Medical Aid for Palestinians’ website]
MAP's vision is a future where all Palestinians can access an effective, sustainable and locally-led system of healthcare, and the full realisation of their rights to health and dignity.
Through our programmes in the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, and Lebanon, we work with trusted and experienced local partners to achieve this vision. Our programmes, designed and delivered by Palestinians, provide access to essential health services and build local knowledge and skills to address Palestinian health problems. In times of humanitarian emergency, we are ready to respond rapidly with aid and assistance.
MAP is also committed to bearing witness to the injustices caused by occupation, displacement and conflict. We speak out in the UK and internationally, and ensure Palestinian voices are heard at the highest levels, to press for the political and social barriers to Palestinian health and dignity to be addressed.