WORLDWIDE RADIO BROADCAST OF VOICES ON #HUMANRIGHTSDAY

BBC Radio 3 will bring together 35 37 40 radio stations across the world on Thursday 10th December (and some later dates) for a performance of VOICES.

“In these strange and challenging times it is more important than ever to keep the music playing and the message of the Universal Declaration alive.”
— Max Richter and Yulia Mahr

Following the news that Max Richter’s score for Ad Astra has been nominated for a GRAMMY, comes the announcement of a global broadcast of VOICES (out now on Decca).

On December 10th, BBC Radio 3 will be joined by 35 European Broadcasting Union radio stations  and beyond (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, USA) for the performance from the BBC’s legendary Maida Vale studios, hosted by Elizabeth Alker.

VOICES, which Max Richter co-conceived with his creative partner Yulia Mahr, sends out a message of unity through music and it’s no coincidence that the first ever broadcast of the piece happens on the United Nation’s Human Rights Day.

VOICES includes passages adapted from the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and was inspired by the document’s opening statement: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” These words provide the starting point for a musical reflection on the state of the world today.

A decade in the making, the piece received its world premiere at the Barbican in London in February – just weeks before the pandemic sent the world into lockdown. Its uplifting message of community resonates as the world faces further months of uncertainty.

VOICES will be presented in a new version for 24-piece ensemble including strings, four-member choir, electronics, solo soprano and narrator. The line-up for the performance from Maida Vale in West London features conductor Robert Ziegler, violinist Viktoria Mullova as soloist, soprano Grace Davidson, members of London-based vocal ensemble Tenebrae, the Max Richter ensemble – with Richter himself on keyboards and electronics – and British actor Sheila Atim as the narrator.

Additionally, part of the broadcast will be a performance of Richter’s 2008 piece Infra, Max’s musical response to the London 07/07 terror attacks, inspired by T.S. Eliot’s modernist poem, The Waste Land. It was originally composed for the highly acclaimed eponymous Royal Opera House ballet production, choreographed by Wayne McGregor and premiering in 2008. The piece reveals an emotive journey across oscillating individual and societal landscapes.

If there is not a local station in your country, you can listen via the BBC website for 30 days after broadcast and read more about the performance here.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
ALL TIMEs are locAL TIMEZONES
PLEASE CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR SCHEDULE CHANGES

10 DECEMBER 2020 

Learn more about VOICES.