William Blake
In Songs
& Words
William Blake in Songs & Words is a project with Susheela Raman and Sam Mills, in which a number of Blake’s writings, as well as those by other writers, are performed set to music or as spoken word.
Words taken from the listing at Susheelaraman.com.
Acclaimed for her audacious cross-cultural musical creations, singer/composer Susheela Raman’s latest adventure encounters the magical imagination of one of London’s most creative sons, William Blake, who was born in Soho and baptised at St James's Church Piccadilly.
Susheela's original settings of Blake poems, such as the epic “Proverbs of Hell”, are threaded with spoken word performances of Blake's writings by Jason Whittaker, author and Blake expert and accompanied by inventive guitarist and composer Sam Mills.
Blake summoned his visionary art and poetry from many sources and continues to fascinate and inspire countless writers, music makers and visual artists. The “Golden String” offered here unwinds in words and music though Blake, from the Renaissance magic of Shakespeare’s “Tempest” to William Burroughs and David Bowie.
A Golden String has been performed at the Kino-Teatr in Hastings on 13 November, and St James’s Piccadilly on 18 November.
Below are some photos from the performance of “A Golden String” with Susheela Raman, Sam Mills and Jason Whittaker performing on 18 November, supported by the avant garde performer and composer, Charles Hayward. Photos by Tim Smith, courtesy of St James’s at Piccadilly.
