Page 313 - Guildhall Coverage Book 2020-21

An entirely stark and empty floor at 100 Bishopsgate was the perfect location for Classic Sound
to capture the haunting audio that needed to emerge from complete desolate silence. Such a
resonant acoustic highlighted the loneliness and hesitancy of the unaccompanied violin and so
Darren’s composition Rising was born. Using the space again as we all watched the sun set over
the City from the 34th floor, with multiple cameras to create Antonia’s vision, is something I will
never forget. As this was an evening close to Bonfire Night there were dazzling fireworks all
around our 360 degree panorama, so the wonderful contrast between the feeling of being alone
so high up and knowing there was life far below every time we saw sparks flying.

As a City of London resident, I have seen what was once a bustling area full of the noises of life
and culture shrink into an eerie shadow of itself. Previously I could walk around the City hearing
musicians practising in the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, cars zooming by and the
general chatter from people spilling out of office buildings or cafes. This beautiful five minute film
perfectly encapsulates the loneliness of a performer in lockdown with no audience tentatively
making the first steps in rediscovering a voice. There are no words needed to describe the
intense gratitude between musician and dancer as they acknowledge each other, for being able
to share that music with even just one other person is surely the driving force behind the hard
work and dedication the professions demand.
Even though the streets in my beloved City may be quieter as I write, these short films
commissioned by Culture Mile, Brookfield and the LSO serve to remind us of the intense
bubbling creativity just below the surface, ready to burst forth once the world heals itself. We look
towards a time in the near future when people can be performers and audience again, crowded
together in the same place, moved by the shared experiences. Surely this time after the relative
silence we’ll have an even greater appreciation of all that the arts have to offer.

Watch Rising here on YouTube
• Watch the companion film, The Spell and the Promise by Lexi Kiddo, on YouTube
• Read classical music reviews on theartsdesk