Verity likes to play with vocal music in ways that ask us to listen differently. Her projects take a range of forms – concerts, theatre pieces, films, installations, community events – but they always start with the voice.
Verity is currently touring with Kaleider’s Arch, an entrancing installation in which a freestanding arch is built out of ice and concrete. Verity has written music for the piece, and is travelling around Europe this summer to work with singers in each location to perform in the show.
A lot of Verity’s work explores the relationship between music and intimacy. She has woven singers amongst audiences (Undersong), embraced audience members (HUG), created concerts for one person at a time (Symphony), and built an installation out of the tiny details of people’s voices (polyphony).
Often, Verity works in close partnership with individuals and communities to create projects for specific environments. She has created a series of duets with people on the Isle of Mull in Scotland (Island Duets), developed portrait films with isolated older people (Voices of Worle), filled historical sites with choirs to mark 100 years since they held conscientious objectors (Refrain), and led pop-up performances on hospital wards (Airborne).
Verity runs a weekly, drop-in choir for anyone that likes to make noises with others in Frome, Somerset. utterancechoir.com
‘Song erupts around you… it’s startling, moving and genuinely immersive.’
— Guardian on HUG
‘One of the most extraordinary pieces of performance I’ve ever seen.’
— Exeunt on Undersong.
VERITY STANDEN PROJECTS is a collaboration between Verity and producer Tom Spencer, often managing projects in partnership with our friends at MAYK.
If you have any questions about Verity’s shows, or an idea for a new project or collaboration, please get in touch with Tom at veritystandenprojects@gmail.com
Images: Island Duets & Refrain, photos by Paul Blakemore.