WESTLAND PLACE 2025
choir, vocal tract organ and vocal tract sliders  [5’]

Westland Place was created in collaboration with the Shout at Cancer Choir through a lyric-writing workshop that drew on personal stories, shared reflections and the group’s powerful sense of community. Together we shaped the words to reflect experiences of identity, change and connection through voice.

The piece takes inspiration from the Sacred Harp singing tradition, known for its raw harmonies, communal focus and inclusive spirit. Like Sacred Harp, this choir values participation over perfection - each voice, however changed, is essential to the whole.

A central image in the lyrics is the campfire: a place of warmth, gathering and shared light. It symbolises the choir’s support for one another and the fire that singing helps keep alive.

The song takes its title from Westland Place in London where the Shout at Cancer Choir gathers to rehearse. In the Sacred Harp tradition, tunes are often named after meaningful places and this name honours the space where the choir’s community and voice come together.

Commissioned for the Shout at Cancer laryngectomy choir and David Howard’s 3D-printed vocal tract instruments.

First performance at Shout at Cancer presents: Louder Than Before, a concert celebrating the choir’s 10th anniversery.