It was a pleasure to join with Cllr. James J Walsh (Lewisham Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure) at City Hall to officially pass the baton from Lewisham to Croydon becoming the new London Borough of Culture. The year long celebration kicks off on Saturday (1st April 2023) at the Fairfield Halls with the Oratorio of Hope.
We’re celebrating all things Croydon with flagship performances of the Oratorio of Hope; a brand-new commission which puts the Croydon community at the heart of the music. This double-bill concert showcases the very best of Croydon’s young talent through music, spoken word, song, dance, film and visual art.
Croydon’s poet laureate Shaniqua Benjamin will take a lead on the poetry and spoken word to share stories of hope for the future, while Grammy-nominated, Croydon-educated Tarik O’Regan (Commissioned to write music for the Kings Coronation) will lead on the composition of the music alongside composers Sarah Freestone, Fiona Brice and Jeff Moore, working with local musicians and arts groups.
The choreography will be led by Agudo Dance Company, alongside Subrang Arts and local young people. A host of schools in Croydon will be involved in the creation and performance of the piece, including hundreds of singers and instrumentalists from Croydon Music and Arts and a mass finale celebrating the very best talent Croydon has to offer.
To be part of this unique experience please visit www.culturecroydon.com, where you wil find out more information about the exciting events that make up 'This is Croydon' - London Borough of Culture.
