A MUSICAL CELEBRATION OF 200 YEARS OF THE CANAL!

Barrowford Stonyhurst Newchurch in Pendle

Barrow Fence Hurst Green A RHAPSODY TOSabden THE Nelson

Brockhall Higham Village LEEDS & LIVERPOOL CANAL Whalley Brierfield

Billington

Simonstone Padiham Langho

ProgrammeAltham Wilpshire Great Harwood Ramsgreave Hapton Brownhill Huncoat Rishton

Church

Oswaldtwistle

Guide Crawshawbooth

Lumb

Waterside Rossendale Haslingden Rawtenstall Newchurch Darwen Hoddlesden Waterfoot Helmshore Cowpe

Edenfield SUPER SLOW WAY: A RHAPSODY TO THE LEEDS & LIVERPOOL CANAL

CONTENTS

3 Foreword 12 Biographies Laurie Peake, Super Slow Way 12 Ian McMillan, Words and Narration Richard Parry, Canal & River Trust 13 Ian Stephens, Composer 14 Clark Rundell, Conductor 4 A Rhapsody to Leeds 14 Ian Brownbill, Producer & Liverpool Canal 15 Amanda Roocroft, Solo Soprano 15 Jonathan Aasgaard, Solo Cello 16 Kuljit Bhamra, Solo Tabla 16 Farmeen Akhtar, Narrator 17 Lisa Parry, Narrator 17 Super Slow Way Chamber Choir 18 Children’s Voices of Blackburn 19 Blackburn People’s Choir 19 Brighouse and Rastrick Band

superslowway.org.uk Foreword 3

LAURIE PEAKE The Leeds & Liverpool Canal was the artery that fed the Industrial Revolution, forever changing the lives and landscape of the north of England. Its history spans 200 years and, like its meandering path through the countryside, there have been many twists and turns along the way. Super Slow Way: A Rhapsody to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal is a celebration of the history, people and stories of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal through music, using a series of poems specially written by celebrated Yorkshire poet Ian McMillan. The canal was ofcially opened in Blackburn in October 1816 when, for the frst time, the journey could be made from the coalfelds of Yorkshire, through the weaving mills of Lancashire to the port of Liverpool, bringing work and industry to the towns along the way, making them centres of the Industrial Revolution and the towns we see today.

The Rhapsody represents a coming together of different forms that perfectly reflects the communities and stories along the canal over the past 200 years, celebrating this great ‘super slow way’ that transported the huge barges of cotton and coal, which made Blackburn a lynchpin of the Industrial Revolution and the great town that it became. Super Slow Way, with the support of Canal & River Trust and Blackburn with Darwen Council, hopes to bring art to the banks of the canal, a beautiful stretch of water, which stands as an apt metaphor for the space and time we need to connect and create.

Laurie Peake Director, Super Slow Way

RICHARD The Canal & River Trust is delighted to be the lead partner in the Super Slow Way PARRY programme, generously funded by Arts Council England. Our goal is to fnd new ways to celebrate the transforming role of our great canal system and in particular to use this programme to introduce the communities of Pennine Lancashire to the creative potential of the Leeds & Liverpool canal, in its Bicentenary year.

The Rhapsody is one of the many amazing and diverse projects that the Super Slow Way programme has enabled, to inspire and engage with all the people who live, work and play along this remarkable stretch of canal.

Richard Parry Chief Executive, Canal & River Trust 4 A Rhapsody to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal

1. Towpath Chant 3. Super Slow Way: The Year Turns Towpath The canal, always the canal, Narrow as my My diary and my almanac Lifepath My song and my story Towpath My book Thin The year Towpath The year turns Muddy as my The year turns its back on me Heartpath The year Towpath The year turns Slip The year turns its face to me And still the year turns Towpath Enless as my The canal, always the canal Workpath My diary and my almanac Towpath My song and my story Rain My book

Towpath A single leaf spins in the air Freezing as my And lands on the water Mindpath With an autumn sound Towpath Pain A single bird fies over the water And hangs in the air Towpath With a shiver like winter Empty as my Soulpath A single cloud refects in the water Towpath Fragile as air Smell With a promise of spring

Towpath A single fsh, dead in the water You are just my Mouth gaping air Worldpath In the hard heat of summer Towpath Hell The year The year turns The year turns its back on me Fantasy on Canal Ballads The year turns 2. The year turns its face to me Instrumental And still the year turns

The canal, always the canal My diary and my almanac My song and my story My book

4. Interlude Solo Cello

A Rhapsody to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal A Rhapsody to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal 5

5. Sunset Over The Canal 6. Narrative No.1 Tranquil, peaceful The canal is an artery Sunset over the water Through the heart of it. We all stand still A straight-as-it-can-be tear Watch the sun go down In the land’s green cloth.

People talking The canal is a brand-new map See the fathers and daughters Of places no-one has seen before: Mothers and sons That towpath view, From across the town That tunnel vision.

This used to be a place of work The canal is a statement Now it’s a place of play; Spoken in the language of money, Eat an ice cream, stroll along The full-stop of coins A fne end to the day In a tottering pile in a well-lit room.

In the silence I hear ghosts This canal began with ideas. Drifting across the air It was the 18th Century Raise their voices in a song When anything seemed possible, Walking with us there: Anything at all, To those men in their tight waistcoats, ‘We are here, we are history Their highly-polished boots. Hear us as we graft; They needed to get lime Time’s a misty moving mystery From one side of the land to the next. We are what is left They needed to shift coal From the pits to the places Take your time, sun is setting That wanted black gold. Walk along the path; Routes were proposed, We are memory and forgetting Routes were argued over. Floating evening breath’ Voices were raised And no doubt, no doubt at all Birds fy so high People will have stormed out of rooms Swooping over the water And doors will have slammed shut. Sunset-flled sky Lights the old canal. 6

7. Canal Dream 8. The Water Was Frozen In his comfortable bed When my family frst came here This Georgian man is dreaming They sat in the house You can see his eyes twitching They stared at the walls And his legs are moving They could hear the neighbours talking As though he is in a race Hear the neighbours eating their tea To the place called Wealth. And grandad said His big whiskers Let’s go out His huge fobwatch I know it’s cold But let’s go out In his comfortable head We can’t sit here He is dreaming of canals So let’s go out Stretching all across the country And see what we can see Strolling on the water And the cargo is his money So we opened the creaking door The coal is gleaming hard cash Went out of the house Walked to the canal His big whiskers And the canal was frozen solid His huge fobwatch It was iced up and frozen stif His tight waistcoat And grandad said In his dream he said Look at the ducks ‘Build me a canal They seem so cold Made of shining gold Just look at the ducks Made of diamonds bright’ Walking on the ice The green felds parted, Hey look at the ducks And the canal ripped through. Just like the ones at home!

His big whiskers Now my family love this place His huge fobwatch We walk on the path His tight waistcoat Beside the canal His sheer trousers And we see our neighbours walking We pop into their house for tea The freezing water bled Across the dream, under the sleeping And grandad said Soaking through the bulging bags Thank you ducks Of the money he was making; For being here And then he woke up smiling Yes, thank you ducks And then he woke up laughing For being there So thank you ducks His big whiskers For swimming and fying His huge fobwatch And fying and swimming His tight waistcoat And swimming and fying His sheer trousers All the way from there to here! His fat wallet His big fat wallet

A Rhapsody to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal 7

9. Narrative No.2 10. The Week Held In Water The route was settled Monday And the digging began. We loaded up the coal In 1770, on the 5th of November And the water waited The frst sod cut by a gentleman The water stood. Who then passed the spade To some people Tuesday Who really knew how to dig. We moved away And the water rippled And this is the route the canal took. The water sang. Imagine spilled water Down a sheet of paper Wednesday Trickling like this: We were held From Leeds, a mighty city And the water rose Via Kirkstall, Armley, Esholt The water fell. And Shipley’s shining waters Through Keighley, Skipton, Silsden Thursday Gargrave to the border country We unloaded coal Where language changes subtly And the water gleamed Does it not? The water glowed

Does it not? Friday Through Foulridge and Barrowford We loaded coal Over to Burnley And the water splashed Rolling through Rishton The water swayed. And through there, through Blackburn Darwen and Adlington, Wigan’s low pitstacks Saturday And magnifcent pier We took beer on board Where posh folk go strolling And the water grinned Or so I’ve been told. The water laughed. Is that true? Sunday Is that true? We said our prayers I don’t know. And the water listened The canal keeps on coming: The water heard. Ruford to Aintree To Bootle To Stanley. Here comes the Frenchman That lad Pier Head. The tide is held at the gate: Wait here, Time Wait here, Place, Wait here, Canal: This is Canning Dock. 8

11. This Is Art 13. Splash! Let us build a statue to these fne workers Turning through the air And let us build it of sweat. And landing in the water With a SPLASH There are no names There goes my hat! Their names are lost Beneath the surface You’ve got to be careful When you live on a barge Let us build a statue to these brave workers Me and my mother And let us build it of ice. And my Auntie Marge

There are no names And where’s your dad? Their names have fallen He’s legging it, upside down! Into disrepair Spinning in the air Let us build a statue to these strong workers And landing in the wetstuf And let us build it of blood. With a SPLASH! Don’t lose the cat! There are no names Their names are rubbed out You’ve got to be careful Of the book When you live like this Me and my grandma Let us built a statue to these hard workers My brother and sis And let us build it of tears. And where’s your dad? On the towpath, pulling hard!

Narrative No.3 Falling through the air 12. And landing in the soft drink If you want numbers With a SPLASH! I can give you numbers: That vase has gone! 127 miles from head to foot, From beginning to end. You’ve got to be steady 91 locks to defy gravity with, Cos the water’s wet To knock it to the ground I once fell in And leave it for dead. I’ve not dried of yet The highest point Is 487 feet. Cold in the winter Where was your dad? That I can tell you. Telling me to get out! The maximum boat length Is 62 feet. When you live on a boat The maximum boat width The sound you don’t want to hear Is 14 feet 4 inches. Is a SPLASH! Ah, these are just numbers Where’s Uncle John? But these are numbers With stories behind them It’s much worse in the winter And that’s what you’re hearing; When the water’s froze Stories, refected in the water. And you’re paddling and sinking In your soaking clothes;

And where’s your dad? He’s in the pub, glugging ale!

Well get him back here!

A Rhapsody to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal 9

Towpath Stories 14. Industrial language Come on, let’s tell Towpath Stories Hammered like rivets. While the hours away Industrial language Emma’s exploits, Ellen’s glories Hauled home on water. Lizzie and Arthur, the memories soaring Industrial language Across the springtime day. Useful for singing.

Towpath tales and towpath legends Let’s have another one Haiku Floating On The Water Before the bright day closes 16. Floating on the wa- Come on, let’s dance Towpath Dances Ter foating on the water While the moon is new Floating on the wa- In the tunnel, take your chances Darkness leads to all that strong romancing Canal boats, foating So let me waltz with you. On the water like feathers Fallen from seabirds. Towpath tales and towpath legends Let’s have another one In the water’s eye As the stars look downhill The boat is foating, holding Itself lock-steady. Come on, let’s sing towpath part-songs While the memory’s good Floating slowly down Songs of laughter, songs to right wrongs Towards the rusting sunset Lifting us to where we’re all belonging Burning the water. Where life is understood Night-foating, a cloud Towpath tales and towpath legends Of barge-ness in the darkness Let’s have another one Under the moon’s gaze. Before the bright day closes As the stars look downhill Rain. The barge foats by Look: the long year’s moving. Rain-kisses, rain-embraces, Water to water.

Narrative No.4 Taking the whole world 15. To the whole world by foating The canal is a story of rise and decline On the full water. And maybe more, maybe. Maybe rebirth. The tunnel mouth sings A darkened song of foating Two hundred years ago On moving shadows. The canal was as busy My face is foating As a street scene on water. On the water as I lean Over like a tree. Goods passing one way And passing the other. -ter foating on the Voices raised in shouting Water foating on the wa- And talking and telling Ter foating on the Someone to do this Someone to do that. water 10

17. Narrative No.5 19. Rhapsody On Boat Names And Some Hard to describe Observations On The Weather A time of decline. The 20th Century. Margaret, you carried Coal and Pitch History’s pages turned And the drizzle hung in the afternoon air And the water swirled muddy. Soaking the heaviness of Pitch and Coal

Less trafc was carried The Stoat had a round stern, and the Hare And when you don’t exercise Had a round stern, and the Wolf had a round stern Your muscles grow weaker. But the Puma had a square stern.

The canal’s day grew dimmer. William, you carried Coal, Sand and Nightsoil, The sunset splashed the sky And the brief morning Sun made everything riper, The colour of forgetting. And the Nightsoil steamed, didn’t it William?

Can you see the Cheetah sailing on the water? 18. A Knife Of Water Can you hear the Bison, can you hear the Beaver? There is a menagerie waiting by the lock-gates. A canal is a knife of water Slicing through land and weather Ellen and Ellen and Ellena and Emma Cutting through the moss and the heather Four sisters carrying the wealth of the nation Gleam in the morning, caught As the fog holds them all like a fst. In the morning’s moment

Sun makes its way, rising and setting A canal is a home-made river As the water rises and settles. Sun in rain: Soaking through grass and clover Glowing and soaking, soaking and glowing. Singing a tune over and over Shine in the evening, weave Doris was named after my sweet wife In the evening’s moonlight Who could carry coal from one room to the other And glide through the tunnel of the evening. Winter the canal is a frozen lane There are snowmen working the locks Ellen and Cheetah and Bison and Sun Spring the canal comes back to life again Margaret and Ellena and Beaver And the women toil round the clock And Doris and Wolf and Hare. Summer the canal shimmers in the heat And the men are all soaked with sweat Autumn the canal is a leafy street Women say it’s the coldest yet.

A canal is an old, old story Starting with hope and money The ending? Well it’s just not funny History closes the door On the dark door closing

A Rhapsody to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal 11

20. Narrative No.6 & No.7 21. The Northern Powerhouse And now we are in a new place This is our house And a new time. Our Northern Powerhouse A time to take your time Our Northern waterway On a morning stroll Our super slow way By the canal’s still peacefulness Our broadband highway. As the sun breaks through. And this is our day A new time This is the North’s day And a new place; This is the North’s way A place for just standing This is our house On the towpath This Northern Songhouse. And licking that ice cream Quickly, before the sun And these are our tales Melts it away. Our Northern stories Our North can not fail It’s a warm Sunday in Spring. We’re bound for glory Let’s head for the canal ’cos this is our house With all the other families Our Northern Powerhouse. And feel the rambling and ambling Straighten out the wrinkles In our mind.

The canal is a memory Built from song and story Unbroken line of water Across the nation’s mind.

Canals all carry language Through the brain’s long tunnels; Words as strong as horses Hauling out the meanings

Canals will live forever Filled with precious water Standing to deliver The Super Slow Way anthems 12 Biographies

IAN McMILLAN Ian McMillan is a writer and broadcaster Coast, Countryfle, Pointless Celebrities, Pick who presents The Verb on BBC Radio 3 of the Week, Last Word and BBC Proms Plus. Words & every Friday night; he’s written poems, He’s been a castaway on Desert Island Discs. Narration plays, a verse autobiography Talking Myself Previously, he was resident poet for English Home and a voyage round Yorkshire in Neither National Opera, UK Trade & Investment, Nowt Nor Summat. He watches Darfeld and Yorkshire TV’s Investigative Poet and Yorkshire Cricket Clubs and the only time he Humberside Police’s Beat Poet. Cats make played cricket, at Low Valley Juniors in 1963, him sneeze. Mrs Hudson told him to take his balaclava of or she’d make him wear his mother’s Rainmate. Ian’s latest collection To Fold The Evening Star - New and Selected Poems (Carcanet) was Ian is poet-in-residence for The Academy of published on 28 April. Urbanism, Barnsley FC and now Barnsley Poet Laureate. As well as presenting The Verb Ian has just been awarded The Freedom of every week, he’s a regular on BBC Breakfast, Barnsley.

“In my words for Super Slow Way I've tried to capture the way the canal is a story of endeavour, of hard work, of history-in-the-making and the impossibly romantic project of cutting a trail of water across the North. I'm looking forward very much to the culmination of this collaboration made from words and music and water! It will float like a canal boat, sing like a harmony!”

A Rhapsody to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal 13

IAN Ian Stephens studied music at Bristol Recent projects include Pied Beauty for the STEPHENS University, and is now based near Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, and Liverpool. His music has been performed by Salisbury Service for Salisbury Cathedral Composer ensembles including the Brodsky Quartet, Choir; forthcoming projects include a String BBC Singers, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Quartet for the Fitzwilliam Quartet, a Clarinet Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Quintet for Mandy Burvill and the Fitzwilliam Orchestra and Royal Northern Sinfonia, and Quartet, and further choral pieces and broadcast on BBC Radio 3. chamber music.

In 2004 he was shortlisted for the Making Ian is also active as a workshop leader, Music Award of the British Composer Awards lecturer, cellist and double bassist. for Crosby Symphony Overture. He was among ten composers commissioned to write for the 10th anniversary of Ensemble 10/10 in 2007. “The Rhapsody has been a wonderful The resulting work, Through the Afrighted project to work on. It’s a celebration of the Air, was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in 2009. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, his children’s history, people and stories of the Leeds and entertainment for narrator and orchestra, was Liverpool Canal through music. I’ve enjoyed performed at the 2013 BBC Proms, narrated by Michael Rosen. setting Ian McMillan’s words, getting to know the canal and its background, working with the many people who have contributed so much to this project, and forming it all into a musical celebration that I hope you too will enjoy.

Thanks to Super Slow Way for entrusting me with this important commission, and particular thanks to music producer Ian Brownbill for his support, advice, friendship and tireless energy.” 14

CLARK RUNDELL Renowned for his innate afnity for the A specialist in cross-genre collaboration, most intricate and demanding of works, he has conducted orchestral projects with Conductor contemporary music specialist Clark artists such as Elvis Costello, Toumani Rundell has established himself as a highly Diabaté, Tim Garland, Amal Murkus and the sought-after guest conductor, working with Wayne Shorter Quartet. Recent highlights for many of the world’s leading orchestras, opera Rundell include the premiere performances houses and ensembles including the London of James MacMillan’s opera Clemency at the Symphony, BBC Philharmonic, Luxembourg ; performances with Asko Philharmonic, Royal Opera House, Bergen Schoenberg Ensemble and Synergy Vocals at National Opera and Asko Schoenberg the Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam, and Britten Ensemble. Sinfonia at the Reverberations Festival, at the Barbican Centre and an appearance at the BBC He directs the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Proms with the Britten Sinfonia and pianist Orchestra’s contemporary music group Nicolas Hodges. Ensemble 10/10. He has given world premieres of works by composers including Django Bates, Richard Rodney Bennett and James MacMillan among others. As an arranger, he has collaborated with Louis Andriessen on the suites Rosa’s Horses and Writing to Vermeer.

IAN Ian Brownbill is a musician, producer and commissioned jointly by The Lowry and BROWNBILL co -director with visual artist Jai Redman Liverpool Culture Company it received of Engine, an arts production company widespread critical acclaim. Producer which has established ArtWork, a dynamic new space for creativity at Greengate in Ian led with Metal on the restoration of the Salford providing a home to nearly one World's oldest railway station at Edge Hill hundred artists. which became Metal's base in Liverpool, opening in 2009. Ian completed a ten year stint as Director of Metal in Liverpool in March 2014, where he Engine are engaged in projects across the led dozens of artist residencies and numerous North West, in May they staged a D’Arts projects working across creative disciplines Festival at The Whitworth and in and with artists from all over the World. A September this year, they revealed former soloist with Black Dyke Mills Band, Ian their unique statue/climbing wall has an association with brass bands spanning Engels' Beard which is a permanent 40 years. piece of public realm at the entrance to University of Salford’s In 2007 after several years of development, Adelphi Building, School of Art and Ian collaborated with screenwriter Jimmy Design. McGovern on the stage play King Cotton,

A Rhapsody to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal 15

AMANDA ROOCROFT Amanda Roocroft graduated from the National Opera for which she won the 2007 Royal Northern College of Music in 1990. Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Solo Soprano The same year she made her operatic debut as Achievement in Opera. In concert she has Sophie in with Sir Charles appeared with leading orchestras throughout Makerras, winning the Royal Philharmonic Europe and North America. Highlights Debut Award that year. She has since secured of recent seasons include her New York an international reputation as one of Britain’s Philharmonic debut; regular appearances most exciting singers, in opera, concert, and at the BBC Proms in London, and at the recital. She enjoys a close relationship with Edinburgh International Festival; and Ellen the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Orford/ in concert with the Berlin Glyndebourne Festival, the English National Philharmonic and Sir . Opera, the and the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, in which Amanda has recorded recital discs with she has held many leading roles. and and received great critical acclaim for her latest Opera highlights include her Tell me the Truth about Love. role as Elisabetta in in Amsterdam conducted by Amanda is a professor at the Royal College and directed by of Music. She gives regular masterclasses at Willy Decker; a tour of Japan as the Guildhall School of Music and Cambridge Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro with University. This summer she collaborated with the Bayersiche Staatsoper and Zubin Joseph Middleton, founding a summer school Mehta; and the title role in Jenufa in France for young singers. in Berlin, Barcelona and at the English

JONATHAN Norwegian cellist Jonathan Aasgaard and piano with Ian Buckle (MSR Classics), the AASGAARD studied cello at the Guildhall School of CD From Jewish Life (Avie) with the RLPO and Music and Drama, winning all the cello Gerard Schwarz, which includes music for Solo Cello and chamber music prizes and becoming a cello and orchestra by Bloch, Bruch, Schwarz gold medal fnalist. In 1999 he was appointed and David Diamond, among others. Principal Cello of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and has since His repertoire comprises many contemporary performed more than 30 works for cello and concertos from Henze and Lutoslawski orchestra with the RLPO. to Tan Dun and Jon Lord. He has given numerous premieres, including He is regularly invited as a guest principal the world premiere of Carl Davis’ with several leading British and European Ballade for cello and orchestra, the orchestras. Chamber music performances European premiere of Giovanni have taken him around Europe, the Sollima’s double cello concerto and Middle East, Japan, South Korea and the the US premiere of concertos by USA including a range of leading festivals Franz Neruda and Emil Hartmann in collaborating with internationally renowned 2011. artists. He has made numerous recordings including an album of transcriptions for cello Jonathan plays a cello made by Celeste Farotti in Milan in 1926. 16

KULJIT BHAMRA One of the most inspiring musicians A resident of Southall since 1969, Kuljit tours in the British Indian music scene, the extensively and collaborating with Jazz, Solo Tabla award-winning Kuljit Bhamra has Pop, Folk, Dance, Flamenco and Orchestral composed and produced over 2,000 songs artists from all around the world. His unique and is responsible for the rise to fame kit includes snare drum, cymbals, hand of numerous Bhangra and Bollywood percussion and a six-piece tabla set which stars. A pioneer of the worldwide Bhangra enables him to play melody as well as rhythm. phenomenon, he combined traditional He is currently performing on stage in the hit Indian rhythms with western instruments West End musical Bend it like Beckham for and recording techniques, thus transforming which he is also co-orchestrator. Punjabi music into a new dance-foor sound. His cutting-edge projects and educational He has worked, both independently work earned him the prestigious award of and collaboratively, on flm scores MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list including the soundtrack for the 2009. award winning Bhaji on the Beach, A Winter of Love, Bend it Like Beckham and appearances on The Guru, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, A Little Princess, and Channel 4’s recent drama Indian Summers, and many more. He has also worked on major West End productions.

FARMEEN Farmeen Akhtar is the youngest of Farmeen plays an active role within her AKHTAR six siblings and grew up in the small local community in showing her support Rossendale town of Haslingden, where by attending events and meetings. She is Narrator the community was close-knit and she dedicated and passionate about voicing the felt opportunities were limited. She re- views and opinions of people with disabilities, located to Blackburn in a quest to broaden her particularly those who are amongst the most opportunities and gain some independence. vulnerable in our society. This is a subject close to her heart and her role as an Farmeen has had a life-long love of the arts, advocate and involvement with from writing to performing and creative arts disability focused groups like Circle and crafts. Her love for writing, poetry and of Friends and Resolve (a disability theatre was enhanced by a degree in English, action and hate crime group) which equipped her with the knowledge and allows her to fulfl this ambition. understanding to appreciate creativity in all its many forms. Her hobbies include listening to music and taking long walks to quiet places where her appreciation of nature and the wonderful outdoors can take hold. The art walks with artist Jean McEwan and the Circle of Friends, a Super Slow Way community commission, has allowed these interests to bloom.

A Rhapsody to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal 17

LISA PARRY From the stage to the big screen, Lisa has Narrator Lisa Parry attended the Royal Welsh College Of Music And Drama in Cardif appeared in movies from Under the Mud and and has been involved in theatre, flm, Dead Man’s Cards, as well as flm shorts for television and radio throughout her career. various flm festivals around Europe. She has played parts in television dramas including Casualty, The Bill and Emmerdale. Her radio work for BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 includes The Tinman, Unprotected and she She has worked with the Everyman and appeared on The Grove for Radio Merseyside. Playhouse theatres, where her work includes Ten Tiny Toes, Miss Julie, The Seagull, My Eyes, Your Smile and a touring show with the Everyman Theatre called No Word of a Lie. Lisa was part of the Everyword Writers Festival from 2006-2010. Roles at the Lunchtime Theatre, include Men of the World and Unloved.

SUPER The Chamber Choir was specially formed Sopranos Tenors SLOW WAY for this event. It is made up of excellent Carol Aspinall Louis-Charles Gagnon CHAMBER singers from a variety of choirs from around Sarah Dover Ryan Hunt the North-West, including Manchester Jessica Hope Alastair McNamara CHOIR Chamber Choir, the Royal Northern College Carin Johnson Kari Robert of Music Chamber Choir, Kantos (a chamber Philippa Neal choir from the ) and Daniella Sicari Basses the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir. Lucy Temby Chris Gascoyne Freya Turton James Holt Ann Wilkes Wilcox Leung Robert Medina Altos Jeremy Salter Vicki Ciaputa Rhian Cocker Accompanist Charlotte Dyce Lauryna Sableviciute Sophie Grant Lucie Phillips Phoebe Watts 18

CHILDREN’S VOICES OF BLACKBURN Director Gill Fourie

Ashleigh Primary School, Intack Primary School, Lower Darwen Primary Blackburn, Mrs Walsh Miss St-Pierre, Mrs Sleigh, School, Mr Price Mrs Willis Robert Allen Leland Adams Carmya Brooks Kieran Mullan HarryAspinall Lewis Critchley Laura Heleniak Holly Baron Yuibun Feng Khalil Khan Aiza Choudry Amelia Halliwell John-Connor Bowers Katie Grace Clarke Caisie Mullen William Bentley Lewis Elvey Alice Neale Declan Calvert Oscar Forster Harry O’Kane Aniya Nazir Lorrie-Jai Haggart Keira O’Kane Dane Matthews Caitlin Haworth Annabelle Smith Yusuf Sidat Caitlyn Hickey Mason Smith Emmanuel Ilori William Higham Megan Spencer Tyler Walsh Elliot Hill Jessica Townsend Derryn Yates Deon Hogg Holly Brice Alisha Khan Olivia Jackson Eddie Banks Deacon Wilkinson Armaan Kadir Robin Hindle Renae Newman Jensen Lovejoy Harvey Jones Antonia Burrows Oliver Lowe Oliver Robinson Omar Yousuf-O’Neill Ismail Nadeem Sonny Meadowcroft Alishba Shah Connie Percival Jack Walsh Charlotte Prest Faye Kershaw Cedars Primary School, Muhammad Riaz Blackburn, Mrs Sames Oliver Riley St Silas CE Primary School, Sam Savage Alina Sohrab Miss Mason Abbie Rose Topping Kainaath Hussain James Turner Laiba Imran Maleika Shakeel Owen Whitehead Taybah Ifitar Summer Khaliq Imaad Ali Jamal Umar Fasum Anees Iman Razzaq Sara Patel Laiba Waqas Zymal Farhad Sulayman Asvat Hibah Patel Aman Khalid Kynaat Ali Amina Ullah Aisha Ahmed Fatima Rehman Kaif Kamran Arwa Choudhry Hasnain Patel Ambereen Zafar Umaimah Bux Laiba Ahmed Imaan Yasif Sophia Shahid

A Rhapsody to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal 19

BLACKBURN PEOPLE’S In early 1998 half a dozen people attended The choir is a performing choir and maintains CHOIR a series of Bulgarian folk song workshops a two-hour repertoire for a wide range of in Blackburn Museum, and had severe events, both locally and regionally. The Director withdrawal symptoms at the end of the six choir has performed at international events Jeff week session. They embarked on a search for including the Krokstrand Man Must Dance Borradaile funding to start a choir that could continue Festival in Sweden and won trophies at the to explore unaccompanied harmony singing, Isle of Man Festival of Choirs in 2011 and 2013, and in May 1998 Blackburn People’s Choir winning the Choir of the Festival trophy in began weekly meetings in Blackburn Central 2015. The choir visited the Cork International Library, later moving to the Wesley Hall. At Choral Festival in May 2015, and in October the opening of the new Lowry Theatre in 2000 won the Jean Gardiner trophy for mixed choirs choir members met their current musical at the Fleetwood Music and Drama Festival. director, Jef Borradaile. Now in 2016 regular singers number over 100.

Through the whole period of its existence the choir has maintained an open door, ofering the opportunity for anyone to try out a cappella choral singing, without stress, without an audition, and with a guaranteed warm welcome and lots of fun.

BRIGHOUSE In addition to having a reputation for Today, the band continues to make its mark & RASTRICK highly entertaining concerts of wide public on the new century with all the promise BAND appeal, the Brighouse & Rastrick Band has that holds, whilst maintaining their great an impressive record of major brass band traditions and continued quest for musical championship victories dating back to the excellence. With over 130 years of proud 1920s. history behind them, the band is still fercely fnancially independent and beholden to no In 1998 the band held concurrently the one other than itself. English Masters, British National and European Championships, a unique ‘Triple It is still true to say that no other Championship’, which has still not been public subscription band has held equalled by any other band. The Brighouse such high status for as long as the & Rastrick Band is perhaps most popularly Brighouse and Rastrick Band! known for its famous 1977 hit parade success The Floral Dance for which it won both Silver and Gold Discs for record sales and national and international acclaim. Find out more about our programme VISIT: www.superslowway.org.uk

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