Raise your voices and join new 1066 opera

Battle Festival world premiere with Glyndebourne. Children from St Mary Star of the Sea, Guestling Bradshaw, Christchurch and Robsack Wood. Howard Moody is pictured at the piano. SUS-160114-145336001

Battle Festival and Glyndebourne are looking for singers to perform in the new contemporary opera by internationally-acclaimed composer Howard Moody.

The opera will be one of the lead events of the Root 1066 international festival to commemorate the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings.

A launch event at Battle Memorial Hall on Saturday, January 23, at 10am will give anyone who wants to sing the opportunity to find out more.

Battle Festival world premiere with Glyndebourne. Pupils at Sedlescombe School are pictured. SUS-160113-115802001

Howard Moody and Simon Iorio from Glyndebourne will on hand to give a taster of what is involved. Those who cannot read music or have never performed before are invited to attend as the piece will be written for all abilities.

The new Battle Festival Community Choir will engage between 300 and 400 singers of all ages drawn from the community and 1066 schools who will perform alongside soloists from Glyndebourne.

The world premiere will be performed at the De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill, on Saturday October 1.

Half the choir will be made up of children from schools including Saxon Mount, St Mary Star of the Sea School, Claverham Community College, St Peter and St Pauls, Chantry School, Sedlescombe, Crowhurst, Catsfield and Netherfield schools.