UWF Singers present ‘Songs of Survival’

The University of West Florida’s Dr. Grier Williams School of Music is proud to sponsor the UWF Singers as they present “Songs of Survival” on Thursday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Rolfs Music Hall at the Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Building 82 on the Pensacola campus.

The concert will feature two contrasting works from 1943, at the height of WWII. The first being a collection of songs for “vocal orchestra” by Margaret Dryburgh and Norah Chambers who composed the songs while in captivity on the island of Sumatra during the Japanese invasion (“Songs of Survival”). Some of these compositions were written on scraps of paper or soup can labels. The comforting presence of music provided the purpose of living during horrendous conditions.

The second large work featured is Benjamin Britten’s “Rejoice in the Lamb.” A known pacifist, Britten composed this work in 1943, around the same time Norah and Margaret were creating their chorus a hemisphere away. The peculiar poetry comes from Christopher Smart whose pen names were Mrs. Mary Midnight, and Ebenezer Pentweazle.

Supportive works include pieces by Gregorio Allegri, W. A. Mozart, Darius Lim, Cynthia Erivo, John Lennon, Sam Pottle, Michael Barrett, Moses Hogan and Leonard Bernstein.

This event is free and open to the public but tickets are required. For tickets or more information, visit uwf.edu/cfpa or call the CFPA box office at 850.857.6285.