It Takes a City (2021)
COMPOSER
Community opera for 2,000 young singers, soloists, symphony orchestra, chorus, and bhangra dancers. Commissioned for the Armonico Consort and the Coventry City of Culture, the work was premiered at the Royal Albert Hall in 2022 and brings together a range of musical styles, from plainchant to folk, reflecting the vibrant, multi-cultural soundscape of modern Coventry. With a crowd-sourced libretto compiled by Sayan Kent, ‘It Takes a City’ is a celebration of the importance of community, diversity and individuality amongst families across the world.
Credits:
Composer: Toby Young
Librettist: Sayan Kent
Musical Director: Christopher Monks
Soloists: Eloise Irving, Thomas Guthrie, Robert Davies and William Towers
Director: Matthew Blake
Chorus: Young people from schools in Coventry, Worcestershire, Telford, Birmingham, Cambridgeshire, Dorset, Wales, Solihull, and Warwickshire.