Borderlands explores new frontiers
November 26, 2003
If the Borderlands Project sounds half as good as it did in rehearsal last week, audiences are definitely in for a treat Friday at the London Public Library’s Wolf Performance Hall.
Borderlands blends folk and choral traditions, combining 22-voice choral ensemble Project Sing with the Sirens folk group.
"That is one of the reasons we decided to call it Borderlands," artistic director Jennifer Moir said. "We’re trying to bring those two idioms together and in that gray area we have Borderlands."
The group will perform three shows Friday at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 8 p.m.
The daytime shows are geared toward students, but members of the public are welcome, Moir said.
"It’s a concert as well as a theatrical production, but at the same time it’s not musical theatre," Moir said. "It sort of combines the elements of theatre and concert into one."
Moir said because the Borderlands Project is a fusion of traditional style and contemporary style, group members are hoping students will come away with a better appreciation of what is possible when conventions are challenged.
"One of the assignments that was suggested for English, drama and music students was to talk about risk taking," Moir said. "When people think about choir they are not going to be expecting what they are going to see from this group of singers."
Group members have ambitious plans for the Borderlands project.
"The hope is we will be able to develop this into something we can tour with," she said. "The tour is something we are very, very excited about."
Moir said taking the show to other Canadian and international venues is part of the group’s long-term plan.
Friday’s performances will also mark the premier of the Snow Angel song-cycle, a work by 21-year-old Sarah Quartel.
For more information on the Borderlands Project performances call, 438-6157.