Classical Pride: Voices from the Edge

Voices from the Edge traces a powerful arc of spiritual, sonic, and social extremity, where the human voice becomes a vehicle for transcendence, protest, and radical presence. From Hildegard von Bingen‘s ecstatic medieval mysticism and Caroline Shaw’s deconstructed language play to Julius Eastman’s explosive invocation of Joan of Arc, each work pushes vocal expression beyond its limits. In this staged programme Voices from the Edge captures these moments where music meets the margins—historical, emotional, and political—and sings defiantly from them.

Hildegard von Bingen’s visionary chant offers a glimpse into the ecstatic and unearthly sound world of the 12th-century abbess, composer, and mystic. Her music, marked by soaring melismas and spiritual fervour, dissolves the boundaries between body and soul, voice and cosmos, grounding the programme in a sense of sacred otherness that transcends time.

Caroline Shaw became the youngest ever winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Partita for 8 Voices, in which a kaleidoscopic array of vocal techniques – from humming, sighing and rhythmic effects to katajjaq (Inuit throat singing) – illuminate and decorate the structure of a Baroque suite.

Julius Eastman’s The Holy Presence of Joan d’Arc is a furious invocation of martyrdom, resistance, and queer Black identity. Scored for ten cellos and a voice that veers between declamation and raw catharsis, Eastman’s work channels Joan’s defiance as a sonic weapon—a ritual of power, vulnerability, and transcendence at the edge of breakdown.

Programme:
Hildegard von Bingen Caritas abundant in omnia
Caroline Shaw Partita for 8 Voices
Julius Eastman The Holy Presence of Joan d’Arc

Artists:
Lucia Lucas (Baritone)
London Voices
Ben Parry (Conductor)
Barnaby Booth (Director)

Classical Pride is not-for-profit. Net proceeds from concerts at Wilton’s Music Hall will be donated to three important LGBTQ+ charities – Rainbow Railroad, Terrence Higgins Trust and GAY TIMES’ Amplifund.

Classical Pride is promoted by Ozero Arts, an arts production charity (registered charity no. 1155338) that undertakes ambitious artistic projects – conceiving, producing and raising money for bold ideas across live and recorded music.

Classical Pride is generously supported by R. Martin Chavez