Since its founding in 2015, Chineke! has become one of the UK’s most exciting musical ensembles, celebrating diversity and championing change by providing crucial opportunities for established and emerging Black and ethnically diverse classical musicians. Here, the full forces of the Chineke! Orchestra assemble under inspirational US conductor William Eddins for a groundbreaking work celebrating female identity.

woman.life.song is a unique collaboration between five eminent women: composer Judith Weir, writers Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison and Clarissa Pinkola Estés and singer Jessye Norman, who commissioned and premiered the piece in 2000. Weir’s remarkable orchestral song cycle tells of a woman’s life from youth through first love to old age, reflecting deeply on all aspects of womanhood. Combining contemporary classical with pop, blues and jazz influences, it’s music of wonder and awe, sparkle and magic, that takes the listener far from classical music’s traditional male perspective.

The vocalist in this special performance is British-American mezzo soprano Andrea Baker, who gave the memorable song recital Sing Sistah Sing! as part of last year’s My Light Shines On online events. Now based in Scotland, Baker is renowned for her sublime voice, her dramatic intensity – and her big musical personality.

Sung in English with English subtitles

This digital performance was available to watch online until 20 February 2022 at 11pm.