A digital collaboration marking 100 years since Portsmouth was granted city status, premiering a new anthem on the Guildhall Square big screen with over 5,000 voices.
On Shining Waters premieres in Guildhall Square on Wednesday 1 July, a digital collaboration marking 100 years since Portsmouth was granted city status. The whole thing is built around a new song written for the occasion by the Portsmouth Music Service, and the premiere is projected on the square's big screen at 18:00.
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It's a massive joint effort. The song brings together more than 5,000 voices from different generations, communities and cultures, with over 50 choirs taking part. That includes school choirs from across the city, community and amateur groups, and workplace choirs. It doesn't stop at the city limits, either: choirs from Portsmouth's twin cities — Duisburg in Germany, Caen in France and New Hampshire in the US — are in there too. The song itself is meant to capture the spirit of the city, its maritime heritage, its people and its creative energy.
Because it's a digital collaboration, the song is projected on the big screen and streamed live on Facebook and online, which lets each choir be part of a professional, coherent performance. Sue Beckett, head of the Portsmouth Music Service, describes it as a celebration of Portsmouth that shows what happens when a city sings together.
The premiere is a public, free event in the square, so you can just turn up and watch it with everyone else. It's open to all ages, with the projection in Guildhall Square as the place to gather and hear it live. The premiere is at 18:00 on 1 July.
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