Summer “Future Dream”
You went and chose the name Gen Z
The last generation
There’s nothing left
We pick up remnants
Memories of others
The internet begins to eat itself
You went and chose the gas and oil
Monetised survival
We still have rain and wind and sun
The future dream has just begun
Rain is Free
Wind is Free
Sun is free
And so are we
ANNA APPELBY
Flower Composer 2023
Summer “Future Dream”
Music: Anna Appleby
for fixed media, tenor, soprano & loud hailers
from
“Seasons of Change”
commissioned by ELECTRIC VOICE THEATRE
with funds from
The National Lottery Heritage Fund & Hinrichsen Foundation
inspired by “Free Trade Songs” for the League Bazaar 1845
by Eliza Flower (1803 – 1846)
First Performance by ELECTRIC VOICE THEATRE
Conway Hall, October 27th 2023
Frances M Lynch – Soprano
Laurence Panter – Tenor
Herbie Clarke – Sound
For the Eliza Flower Composer project I created a 3-minute song called ‘Future Dream’ in response to Eliza Flower’s song ‘Summer’. I made it as an environmental protest song, in response to Flower protesting the issues of her day. ‘Future Dream’ is a poem I wrote from the perspective of Gen Z climate protestors, campaigning for the use of renewable energy, with a hopeful vision of a different world.
The music combines my own voice in a distorted track which powers on insistently for the whole duration, while the two singers increase in intensity and ferocity throughout with loudspeakers, eventually bursting into song.
You can see how the piece was performed on this video of the full cycle “Seasons of Change“. You will find ‘Future Dream‘ at approx 5’03” .
ANNA APPLEBY
Flower Composer 2023
Where I started
I have a first-class honours undergraduate degree in Music from the University of Oxford, a Masters in Composition from RNCM, and have just submitted my PhD in Composition. When I left formal education I worked at many jobs including as a Primary School teaching assistant – I only lasted 4 weeks! It was very tough work. I then taught performing arts for a term with a different organisation, which suited me a lot better.
For my first serious music job, I worked at Rambert Dance Company as their composer in residence for a year, which was very exciting!
I taught composition and music theory privately for a few years and for several months as a Ticketing Assistant at The Lowry Theatre despite having composition work going on alongside. On my last shift, I managed to sell a ticket for my own show – that felt like a good point at which to leave. There are many more, but too many to count!
Where I am now
Manchester, UK is my home and place of work. I have travelled and worked across the UK with regional ensembles and companies, and across Europe including Iceland, Italy, and the Netherlands, with premieres around the world including the USA.
My opera, Pay the Piper, composed jointly with three other composers for Glyndebourne Youth Opera, won Best Opera at the YAM Awards in 2022.
I love collaborating with scientists and a highlight for me was writing music inspired by graphene! This was a residency with Brighter Sound and Anna Meredith at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester. I have also worked with artificial intelligence, and even mathematical modelling of liver cells for cancer research. Both were facilitated by PRiSM (Practice and Research in Science and Music) at RNCM (the Royal Northern College of Music).
A musical highlight for me was doing a workshop with the orchestra of Dutch National Ballet – imagine a whole symphony orchestra playing your music in another country! And then a few years later I got to compose an opera for the BBC Philharmonic, so that was really the pinnacle for me so far. It went out on BBC Radio 3 in August 2023.
I ended up becoming an electronic pop musician in the pandemic because I had nobody to write for at home. It somewhat escalated and I have come full-circle, as in July 2023 I opened the show for Anna Meredith (one of my heroes) at the Manchester International Festival.
Who inspires me?
I am very inspired by Anna Meredith for leading the way for other composers to do both contemporary classical and electronic pop music.
I am also inspired by Kaiya Saariaho, the late opera composer, and have focused on composing opera for women performers.
