Culture in Quarantine: Sounds of Silence

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A soprano discovers the colour of her voice in a basement in Birmingham.

Soprano Abigail Kelly questions the colour of her voice. Sounds of Silence is a series exploring the impact of lockdown on musicians across the UK. Presented by Soumik Datta.

Washing her wigs and singing the traditional songs of her ancestors in a basement in Birmingham… that’s where we find opera singer Abigail Kelly during her lockdown. 

In the second episode of ‘Sounds of Silence’, the British-Jamaican soprano questions the colour of her voice and its connection to her heritage. But what are the sounds she’s hearing in the void? And how is she reflecting on the memories of her past, the silence of the present and her expectations of the future?  

Composer and presenter Soumik Datta captures the thoughts of instrumentalists and singers across the UK, to discover their sounds of silence during the global crisis. 

Presenter and Producer: Soumik Datta
Executive Producer: Clare Freeman 
Sound Mixed by: Camilo Tirado
A Soumik Datta Arts production for BBC Radio 3 

Commissioned for BBC Culture in Quarantine supported by The Space Arts, BBC Arts and Arts Council England.

The Essay: Culture in Quarantine: Sounds of Silence

Live music and the arts: broadcasts more live music than any other radio network. Classical music is its core. Genres include world and new music, jazz, speech and drama.

A five-part series exploring the impact of the global crisis on musicians.

Composer and presenter Soumik Datta captures the thoughts of instrumentalists and singers to discover their 'Sounds of Silence' during the global crisis.

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