About this concert
For the 2018 Irwin Mitchell mjf originals commission, Scottish composer and harpist Esther Swift presents a suite of word-settings using the poetry of Carol Ann Duffy.\nCarol Ann Duffy, originally Scottish-born and current poet laureate, has lived in Manchester for over 20 years. She writes honestly and sensitively about female oppression, gender discrimination and violence. Esther’s interest in her contribution to the arts, and especially the voice she gives to women, has inspired her to deconstruct the works, focusing more on their mood and rhythm of speech, and create new texts using the same themes that inform much of Carol Ann’s work.\nThe music is built around Esther’s regular harp quartet Clouds and calls on her contemporary classical, folk, jazz and poetry backgrounds, and features many of Manchester’s notable improvisers.
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Esther Swift Biography
Esther Swift explores ritual, connection, isolation, and the natural world in her performance with pedal harp and voice.
A prolific, boldly innovative harpist, composer and singer, Esther works across genres as diverse as classical chamber music and free improvisation, and writes for ensembles large and small. Having studied at Edinburgh’s St Mary’s Music School and the Royal Northern College of Music, as well as with harp pioneer Catriona McKay, she has received numerous prestigious commissions and featured in many international collaborations.
She has travelled to Vietnam, New Zealand, Malaysia, Mongolia, and beyond with her music, and shared international, music lead collaborations with musicians and other artists around the world.
She has recently been commissioned by Celtic Connections, Chamber Music Scotland, Manchester Jazz festival and The Edwin Morgan Trust and performed internationally with her band Emergence Ensemble.
Read MoreA prolific, boldly innovative harpist, composer and singer, Esther works across genres as diverse as classical chamber music and free improvisation, and writes for ensembles large and small. Having studied at Edinburgh’s St Mary’s Music School and the Royal Northern College of Music, as well as with harp pioneer Catriona McKay, she has received numerous prestigious commissions and featured in many international collaborations.
She has travelled to Vietnam, New Zealand, Malaysia, Mongolia, and beyond with her music, and shared international, music lead collaborations with musicians and other artists around the world.
She has recently been commissioned by Celtic Connections, Chamber Music Scotland, Manchester Jazz festival and The Edwin Morgan Trust and performed internationally with her band Emergence Ensemble.
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