West Sussex children's lockdown experiences inspire major new composition

Together and Apart in Chichester Cathedral offers a composition inspired by the pandemic.

Taking place on July 14 at 7pm, it offers West Sussex Youth Orchestra, West Sussex Youth Choir and West Sussex Young Voices who will perform separately and combine for the premiere of Ned Bigham’s Together and Apart, a composition inspired by the experiences of West Sussex’s children and young people living through the pandemic.

Ned Bigham - credit Clive Bardaplaceholder image
Ned Bigham - credit Clive Barda

The words have been written by students from the ensembles and supplemented by a poem by 18th-century Sussex poet Charlotte Smith

Spokeswoman Sarah Ryan said: “This event is particularly special because Covid lockdowns have presented a massive challenge for young musicians and ensembles. The text for this piece is drawn from the experiences of the orchestra and choir’s musicians and singers in dealing with lockdown and being unable to perform together and how they feel now that they are eventually able to perform again.”

Related topics:
Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice