The King in the Car Park is a brand new ‘cantata’ commissioned this year, written by Benjamin Vaughan and Philip Gross, for performance by children’s choirs.
Leicester and Leicestershire schools who are part of the Leicester Cathedral’s schools’ singing programme DioSing!, in collaboration with the Richard lll Project, have been working on this new musical version of the story of King Richard lll for the last few months.
Premiere performance: Tuesday 30th June 2015 at 2pm-3pm at Leicester Cathedral
Second performance: Wednesday 1st July 2015 at 5.30pm-6.30pm at All Saints with Holy Trinity Parish Church, Loughborough
Entry is free of charge for both performances.
The King in the Car Park comprises 9 movements in a variety of musical styles as diverse as jazz, musical theatre, folk and more! It tells the story of Richard III’s life, death in battle and recent rediscovery, culminating in the finale ‘Coming Home’ representing Richard III coming to his final resting place ‘in the heart of England’. The music has been written by up-and-coming Welsh composer Benjamin Vaughan who studied composition at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the libretto by Creative Writing professor Philip Gross. The piece will be performed for the first time by 300 primary school children from schools across Leicester and Leicestershire who have been working with DioSing! Choral Directors all year. They will sing alongside Leicester Cathedral choristers, Loughborough Children’s Choir, a counter tenor soloist, and a live band including piano, flute, clarinet, double bass, a variety of medieval instruments and the organ of Leicester Cathedral.
Both performances will be conducted by Choral Director Emma Trounson. Please contact Emma via the contact form for more information.
