When a Child is a Witness - Coventry Cathedral

When a Child is a Witness - Coventry Cathedral

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Posted 2022-02-22 by dpmfollow

Sat 26 Feb 2022

A new requiem focussing on the experiences and hopes of refugees will be premiered at Coventry Cathedral on Saturday 26 February. Composed by Liz Dilnot Johnson, When a Child is a Witness features music from different countries and traditions alongside visual art and poetry.

The work is inspired by the windows of Coventry Cathedral and has been created in collaboration with children, charities supporting refugees and the choir Ex Cathedra. Blending choral music and instrumental meditations, When a Child is a Witness features songs of remembrance, of hope and kindness, of resilience, acknowledging what has been lost, and raising awareness of what it means to make a new home in a foreign land.



Liz says: "Working with the children, the charities in Coventry and with Ex Cathedra over the last few months has been a thrilling journey. Creating new songs and new material can help validate each person's identity and this is one way in which isolated individuals and families can start to feel more like they belong to a community."

The piece brings together musicians and traditions from Africa, Europe and the Middle East as well as the organ of Coventry Cathedral. And these different communities will be performing in a building which is itself a testament to survival – the current Coventry Cathedral rose from the ruins of the Medieval building which was bombed during World War Two.

Liz says: "I wanted to use my setting of the requiem to bring together people who wouldn't usually share a platform. I feel passionately about the need for providing a safe haven for refugees – families that are forced out of their homes due to war, famine or other disasters. I think through working in partnership with the different groups involved we have shown the positive outcomes when you give people an opportunity to create within a safe space. We want our audience to hear and celebrate all the different voices coming together for this unique event and also share in the hopefulness we feel for the future, here in Coventry."



As part of When a Child is a Witness, a bell will chime to introduce six windows – each a different piece of music telling its story, from the tales of young refugees to a Ghanian lullaby sung by young mothers from across the globe who now live in Coventry. And during the performance, images of the cathedral's windows will be shown along with paintings by visual artist Fion Gunn from her Age of Exploration series.

Starting at 5pm, tickets are £20 for an adult and £5 for a child (up to age 16). For more information and tickets see https://coventry2021.co.uk/what-s-on/when-a-child-is-a-witness/

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!date 26/02/2022 -- 26/02/2022
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70622 - 2023-01-26 01:48:13

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