A music professor at the University of Southampton is in the running for a prestigious Ivor Novello Award as part of the Ivors Classical Awards.
Benjamin Oliver , Professor of Composition, has been nominated for the Best Community and Participation Composition Award for a piece called VENT that he created with puppetry director and theatre maker Rachel Warr.
VENT, written for a choir and electronics, explores themes of protest and freedom of speech, and draws on elements of ventriloquism. Professor Oliver composed the music for London-based experimental choir Musarc.
He said: "VENT is in five parts, with each exploring elements of protest. For example, in the second section the choir is gradually suppressed until they are all mouthing the text stridently but silently. There are also sections with protest scenes, with placards and shouting, and more reflective sections that evoke rebuilding and the potential positive aspects of collective action."
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On his Ivor Novello nomination, Professor Oliver, who has worked at the University of Southampton for 15 years, said: "It's wonderful to be recognised in this way, and I am really proud to have this collaborative work with Rachel and Musarc celebrated.
"I am particularly proud to have been shortlisted in the Best Community and Participation Composition category, as that reflects the strong element of collaboration and inclusivity in the work."
The Ivors Classical Award winners will be announced at a ceremony on Tuesday 11 November at BFI Southbank, London.
