We Sing the River’s Voice
This riverside vocal installation brings together multiple voices across the generations, first performed in June 2026 near the River Severn at Bewdley. The hour-long performance included words and music created by Liz Dilnot Johnson with two choirs of children, a pop up community choir, a group of improvising voices, and a performance poet, expressing our hopes and concerns for the river in these challenging times. The performance is designed to raise people’s awareness of the threats to river health, along with providing very practical solutions and a sense of unity in our efforts to help maintain our beautiful rivers in the UK.
The young singers of the Academy of Vocal Music (Ex Cathedra) worked with Liz to create captivating new sounds that tell the river's story in Voices of the River. The young people created a set of words - If we die, you die! Please save us! Our wildlife is dying! - and then translated these into ‘river code’ and set them to their own melodies to create a haunting piece of music.
The Thalweg demands that the people present to take action and commit to doing something to help:
I am the Thalweg, all I can do is flow!
What is the cause of your woe?
We need the guardians of the river -
I invite you to this challenge! The river calls out to you!
What will you do?
What will you do?
The ‘Thalweg’ (performed by Martin Robson) - the deepest part of the river - comes to life and wants to know - what are our questions for the river?
Children from local schools represented the creatures and plants of the river. They sang their questions about why the river has changed, making it difficult for them to survive.
Water Crowfoot: We are the growing things, this is our question:
please can you save the river? The river is our home!
Kingfishers: We are the flying things… where have the fish gone?
Minnows: We are the swimming things. This is our question:
Why do you use the river as a litter bin?
Vocal improvisation Leader Ruana Xerri-West led a group of twelve vocal improvisers in two extended pieces - River Lamentation a contemplative, dark expression of grief, and A River Blessing that ended the performance involving the whole audience.
Performance Poet Sipho Eric Ndlovu took the audience on a journey through three different landscapes, asking questions, helping us connect, and drawing our attention to what is needed in playful, thought-provoking ways.
Audience Reactions:
‘I was blown away by the performance, feeling it was a brave thing to do, blending celebrating the river with the issues well, and brilliant for community.’
‘a truly magical experience - thank you Liz for your vision and orchestration of the project…’
‘Great uplifting energy. Congratulations to everyone who took part. A wonderful experience.’