A Chorus of Hope

A Chorus of Hope comes to the Quad Theatre at Marjon on Thursday 16 July, an a cappella show calling for unity and resistance. It's an all-voice performance, so there are no instruments on stage — just the sound of people singing together.

The scale is the first thing that stands out: 100 voices in one room. That's the Wheelhouse Folk Choir from Tavistock and The Great Sea Choir from Plymouth joining forces, both directed by the folk duo Suthering. The show is rooted in folk music but reaches across a fair few genres, and the two choirs are singing as one rather than taking separate turns. It's a big sound, and the theme they're working with — unity and resistance — fits the a cappella format: a hundred voices coming together to make something they couldn't do on their own.

There's some recent history behind it, too. Both choirs released their debut EPs back in March, and the recordings got airplay on BBC radio and folk stations, along with a fair bit of positive press. Sam Blackledge of ITV described the work as, 'In a world which feels as if it’s slowly growing darker, these small yet beautifully crafted musical gems are the glimmer of light we all need.' That's a good summary of the mood they're aiming for — the show is framed as a call to look for hope and unity during dark times, and it's that same thread that runs through the EPs and the live performance.

It's at the Quad Theatre in Marjon, Derriford Road, Plymouth, PL6 8BH, on Thursday 16 July. Tickets are £15.