Join us for an open session featuring a special performance from renowned soprano, Gweneth Ann Rand.

Inspired by Gwendolyn Brooks' 1953 novel, Maud Martha, artist Rachel Jones worked collaboratively in 2023 with poet Victoria Adukwei Bulley and composer Joseph Howard to create the operatic work Hey, Maudie.

Originally commissioned by the Roberts institute of Art, Hey, Maudie follows the character of Maud Martha (sung by soprano Gweneth Ann Rand), as she communicates with a choral ensemble that represents the intimate and inner voice of her soul.

Demonstrating the interdisciplinary weaving of literature, poetry and music within a visual arts context, Jones and her collaborators have developed two new acts whilst on the Snape Residency, workshopping ideas with musicians and singers.

Drawing on various musical traditions, gospel, blues and jazz as well as spoken word are woven into the score to express a nuanced, embodied sound that evokes the moments of joy, curiosity, frustration and desperation that punctuate Maud Martha’s life.