Projects
Songs of the River
Inspired by the landscapes, history, people and stories surrounding us, Songs of the River is a new podcast by mezzo-soprano Joanna Harries which creates an exploratory journey along iconic rivers using folksong.
Designed to encourage a greater connection between music and landscape, it can be experienced either as a “virtual journey” at home, or walking along the river itself. Each episode explores a folksong connected to the river through performances and interviews.
In 2021 two new series will be released: Songs of the Thames in London (supported by a Royal Philharmonic Society Enterprise Award) and Songs of the Clyde in Glasgow (supported by a Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Make it Happen Award).
SongPath
Founded in 2019 by Jess Dandy & Joanna Harries, SongPath is a mental health initiative designed to provide participants with nourishing ways of connecting through walking, talking & music-making.
Our first event took place in South Cumbria in partnership with the Ulverston International Music Festival with a trail bursting with music, song, poetry, meditation and dance from the coastal village of Bardsea to Swarthmoor Hall, via Birkrigg Common. We also worked with two local branches of mental health charity Mind (Mind in Furness & Ulverston Mind) and raised £5796.75 towards their future work.
In October 2021 we took two SongPath events to the Oxford Botanic Garden as part of Oxford Lieder. Working with Oxfordshire Mind we gave free workshops and free places to participants at our Botanic Garden events.
INTERSTELLA
INTERSTELLA charts the course of three trailblazing women instrumental in space exploration. In a series of short interlocking one-woman chamber operas, INTERSTELLA gives voice to astronauts, engineers and mathematicians – women whose stories have been eclipsed.
Created by an all female/non-binary team led by Fiona Finsbury & Joanna Harries, this small-scale, adaptable production is designed to tour to unusual science-based performance spaces. Alongside will run an education project aimed at primary school children at KS2.
Fusing science and music, INTERSTELLA follows the trajectory of women light-years ahead of their time, and the impact they’ve made on space exploration.
INTERSTELLA will be developed in a residency with Britten-Pears Arts at Snape Maltings in April 2022.
DEBUT/Horizon
DEBUT/Horizon Project presents the UK’s most exciting emerging musicians in a filmed showcase of opera scenes, behind- the-scenes insights and live performances. Led by DEBUT founder Lizzie Holmes & Joanna Harries, the DEBUT/Horizon Project 2020 was a Covid-19 compliant filmed showcase of opera scenes premiered on YouTube, garnering 600+ views within the first 24 hours.
In 2021 they were awarded a Genesis Foundation Kickstarter Fund Award to expand DEBUT/Horizon Project in 2021. It will be conducted again by Royal Opera House Jette Parker Artist Thomas Payne and recorded by sound & video engineer by Bobby Williams.
Hailed as ‘a great introduction to some of the best talent’ (Opera Now) and ranked Airbnb’s #1 Music Experience Globally in 2018 (Forbes), since 2015 DEBUT has enjoyed sell-out intimate concert experiences at London’s Royal Opera House, Cutty Sark and Shoreditch Treehouse, and featured on BBC Radio 3 InTune.
