Just Watching - Mo Zhao
Guildhall School of Music and Drama "Voiceworks" Project at the Wigmore Hall
Sian Dicker, soprano
Krystal Tunnicliffe, piano
May Sumbwanyambe, text
Mo Zhao, music
I couldn't wake you up
you had too much whiskey
I had a bad dream
I’ve been having a bad dream
I wanted to say something
I wanted to say…
I was in a kindergarten
Lying on my back like a baby.
A man came and picked me up
He looked like my dad.
The same eyes
we heard a noise
So we crept towards a room.
the door, it was slightly ajar,
looked in, saw you
And another woman.
You were both naked.
We just stood there looking into the room.
The door was slightly ajar.
I wanted to say something.
I wanted to say,
what are you doing?
He had covered my mouth and eyes
He couldn't cover my ears.
I could still hear
And then I opened my eyes
And I wanted to tell you so much
But you had drank too much whiskey
May Sumbwanyambe, 2017
Just Watching follows a young woman who is in a relationship with another young woman. Her fears about her lover’s unfaithfulness manifests themselves as nightmares in her sleep.
Wiltshire born soprano Siân Dicker is a scholarship student at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, currently studying on the Artist Masters vocal studies course with Marie Vassiliou and Janice Chapman. Siân completed the Graduate Certificate year at GSMD gaining a Postgraduate Diploma with Distinction, and prior to this completed her Undergraduate BMus studies at City University London, graduating with a First class Honours in 2014. Siân is thrilled to have won the Dunraven Welsh Young Singer of the Year competition in March 2017, adjudicated by David Jackson. She was also a recent finalist for the Chartered Surveyors' Vocal Prize at GSMD and has recently sung in Masterclasses with Graham Johnson OBE, Professor Susan McCulloch and Professor Rudolf Piernay at the school.
Born in Melbourne, Krystal Tunnicliffe holds a Bachelor of Music at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, under the tutelage of Glenn Riddle (graduated 2014). In September 2015 she moved to London, and commenced a Masters of Performance (Piano Accompaniment) at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she is currently studying with Andrew West. She received her A. Mus. A. diploma in 2009, and her L. Mus. A. diploma (with distinction) in 2015. Her studies have been gratefully supported by the Ian Potter Foundation, the TAIT Memorial Trust, and the University of Melbourne Trust (Welsford Smithers Memorial Travelling Scholarship, FW Homewood Scholarship, Cassidy Bequest Scholarship).
Mo Zhao is an emerging young composer who enjoys writing for a variety of ensembles ranging from symphony orchestra to soprano with rock musicians. While varying in style, her music is always underlined with lyricism and emotional sensitivity. Her music has been performed across the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe. Her works have been performed in the Barbican Milton Court, Wigmore Hall, Saarland State Theater, Nakas Conservatory, etc. She has collaborated with the Grammy-nominated string band ETHEL in TUTTI New Music Festival in 2015.
May Sumbwanyambe is an award-winning playwright who is currently writing new stage plays, radio plays, operas and musicals on commission to The National Theatre of Scotland, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Scottish Opera and the BBC.
In 2015 he was the winner of the BBC PAF's £10k Legacy Award and in 2013 he was the inaugural Papatango Resident Playwright and winner of the £10k BBC Performing Arts Fellowship. Other award recognition includes being shortlisted for the Channel 4/Oran Mor Comedy Drama Award (2012), the Papatango New Writing Prize (2012), the Alfred Fagon Award (2011, 2012, 2015), the BBC'S Alfred Bradley Award (2011) and OffWestEnd's Adopt a Playwright Award (2010 and 2009). He also reached the final round of Soho Theatre's Verity Bargate Award (2011) and won the BBC's inaugural Scriptroom competition (2012). In 2016 he was shortlisted for the Old Vic 12 award and named a finalist for the Perfect Pitch £12k musical award.
Recording provided by Leo Doulton