Dr Edward Nesbit is a London-based composer with a particular interest in vocal music. His works have been performed by groups such as the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and Guildhall Symphony Orchestra in venues including Wigmore Hall, the Royal Festival Hall, the Purcell Room and the Barbican. For his residency at Queen Mary, Nesbit was commissioned to write a new orchestral work in celebration of the 80th and 130th anniversaries of the People's Palaces. (The original People’s Palace, which opened in 1887 burnt down in 1931. The new People’s Palace opened in 1937.) Called Time Passes, the piece was performed by the Queen Mary Orchestra, Choir and the East London Music Group in March 2017 in The Octagon.
Nesbit also took part in a project called Journeys, a musical exploration of home and migration between Vietnam and London, involving a series of musical performances and workshops. The project collaborated with members of the Vietnamese community, musicians and Nesbit. It was based upon PhD research by geographer Annabelle Wilkins on relationships between home, work and migration among Vietnamese people in east London, developed in partnership with the Centre for Studies of Home, a partnership between Queen Mary and the Geffrye Museum of the Home. Through collaboration and performances Journeys sought to strengthen links between Queen Mary and its local communities, as well as bringing current research to new audiences. Over 400 people took part in a series of performances and workshops, featuring talks and discussion on the themes of home and migration.
Find out more:
Artist website: www.edwardnesbit.com
Centre for Studies of Home