Composed by Nicola Burnett Smith and performed by her with Taylor Wilson, Joel Sanderson, Alison McNeill and Dawn Coulshed. Based on three poems by poet Philip Vernon.

Execution Trilogy by Nicola Burnett Smith LIVE at Edinburgh Fringe 2023

Winter Garden is based on the poem by Sylvia Paskin. Nicola Burnett Smith composer and on vocals, Dawn Coulshed on piano, Taylor Wilson and Alison McNeill on vocals, Joel Sanderson on 'Jellobass'.

Winter Garden by Nicola Burnett Smith Live At EdFringe 2023

Stabat Mater is inspired by the poem by Philip Vernon. Composed by Nicola Burnett Smith in 2017, it has been performed three times at the Actors Church in Covent Garden and on Easter Friday 2022 was performed in Edmonton, Alberta by Pro Coro Canada.

Here the vocals are provided by: Dawn Coulshed Soprano, Taylor Wilson Mezzo and Nicola Burnett Smith Alto with Joel Sanderson on double bass/cello - the Jellobass.

Stabat Mater by Nicola Burnett Smith Live At EdFringe 2023

Originally written for the theatre production '100 Witches' and inspired by the poem by Anna Kisby, this composition by Nicola Burnett Smith is a musical interpretation of the evidence given in a French court in the 1880s, by the wife of a man who murdered his neighbour, believing him to be a witch. 

Vocals by Nicola Burnett Smith with Dawn Coulshed on piano, Alison McNeill on violin and Joey Sanderson on cello/double bass - the 'Jellobass' !

Account By The Murderer's Wife by Nicola Burnett Smith Live At EdFringe 2023

Nicola wrote this piece in 2017 and it's been performed many times since with varied instrumental lineups. Here we have Nicola on soprano saxophone and bass clarinet, Joey Sanderson on the cello/double bass (the unique 'Jellobass'), Taylor Wilson is the narrator and plays piano, Alison McNeill is on violin and Dawn Coulshed is on piano and glockenspiel.

Mina's Waltz by Nicola Burnett Smith Live At EdFringe 2023

Dancing Green was inspired by a poem called 'Refuge', by Claire Booker and by the stories told to me by my dear friend Eric Sanders of his escape from Vienna just before the Second World War. 
I first started creating this piece in 2017: this version is pared down in comparison to the original. At Edinburgh in 2023 we start with a reading of the poem and then move into the Dancing Green instrumental, with Taylor Wilson on Percussion and vocalisations, Alison McNeill on violin and vocalisations, Joel Sanderson on his 'Jellobass', Nicola Burnett Smith on Bb clarinet, Dawn Coulshed on guitar. The piece finishes with the 'Refuge' duet between the violin and the clarinet.

Dancing Green by Nicola Burnett Smith Live At EdFringe 2023

Inspired by the poem of the same name by Carol Ann Duffy, I stressed the wistful, yearning yet hopefulness of the poem. Dawn Coulshed plays guitar, Nicola Burnett Smith lead vocals and Bb clarinet with Alison McNeill on vocals and violin and Taylor Wilson on  vocals, Joel Sanderson on cello/double bass - the Jellobass.

Echo by Nicola Burnett Smith Live At EdFringe 2023

as if floating in a dream of a sea filled with huge, quiet creatures

Sleep Music: In the Deep... by Nicola Burnett Smith and played on 6 x bass clarinet

On 3 rd July I presented the Out of Place project at a gala of new musical works inspired by contemporary poetry, also supporting the Rory Peck Trust. Here are my three compositions: 

'Dancing Green' was a work in progress and based on 'Refuge' by Claire Booker. The poem 'Refuge' is read first by Annette Badland. Clarinet Nicola Burnett Smith, percussion Gemma Storr, flute Marianne Johnson, trumpet Sarah Woolfenden,  piano Sarah Lambie. 
Thanks to Ian Button for the sound recording.

For the final version of this piece, see the version recorded at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2023.

First performance 2017 of 'Dancing Green' by Nicola Burnett Smith Live at The Actors Church

This song (originally arranged by the Medieval Babes) was played as 3 acrobats twirled elegantly on ropes in a production of 'Quest - the Legend of the Green Knight' in the Big Top on Clapham Common, Christmas 2004. I was playing Guinevere and Nineve and sang many other songs live but we had to record this one as I couldn't get to the microphone on time after my previous scene. I had time for a cup of tea instead, as it was playing.

Nicola Burnett Smith - Vocals on 'So Lovely is Her Face' by the Medieval Babes

My first project on Logic pro X software during the pandemic. This is me playing 6 x bass clarinet and 1 x Bb. Suffering from bad sleep in lockdown, I thought to record myself playing some music that would help me get to sleep. Here is a sample. Bass clarinets are musical valerian...... yawn..... Zzzzzzzzzzzz

Nicola Burnett Smith's Sleep Music: extract of 'So Tired' for 6 bass clarinets plus 1 Bb clarinet

I studied singing and clarinet from an early age and became a professional actor in the late 80s. Appearances as an actor and actor-musician include leading roles in repertory theatre, chamber opera, various national and international tours, the RNT, the Purcell Room, the Edinburgh International Festival, plus on screen in Taggart, The Bill, Silent Witness and Emmerdale. I also  also been running my own communication skills training company xperient.co.uk and work regularly as a singer/musician, performing contemporary compositions, playing live with pop bands and recording in the studio on vocals, the Bass Clarinet and Bb Clarinet as well as Alto and Soprano Sax. I compose my own pieces in collaboration with contemporary poets as part of my project 'Out of Place'.  It was my great pleasure to be listed on the Stabat Mater website and then to go to Alberta, Canada to watch the Canadian premiere of my 'Stabat Mater' in 2022. 

I sang on Max Reinhardt's live soundtrack to ‘Battleship Potemkin’ and also appeared on clarinets with his Instant Scorchestra  at Latitude Festival in 2022; 
Anna Braithwaite’s ‘Brainsong’, ‘Super Obsessive’ and ‘Quintet for Biscuit’ with The Bergersen Quartet/ Paul Hepden’s ‘SQ4’; 
‘Va Por Cuba’ at Bolivar Hall; 
Dominic De Grande’s ‘Oblique’, ‘Be Not Afeard’ and ‘Meicost Ettal’; 
Paul Hepden’s ‘I’d Rather Walk’; 
Darren Hayman’s ‘The Archduke Learns to Ski’, ‘Seraing Lokamotiv’ and the ‘Grateful Villages’ project; 
Tom Kilworth’s ‘Tea Suite’; 
London Gypsy Orchestra and Tatcho Drom with Gundula Gruen; 
Gemma Storr’s ‘Mind’s Ear Orchestra’ and ‘Safe’; 
Dave Berryman’s ‘Sea Stacks’; 
BBC Symphony Orchestra’s Eotvos Project at the Barbican for Duncan Chapman.

‘A Little Orchestra’ – I am a founder member of a small orchestra performing with pop bands:  this has included gigs and festival appearances for Ralegh Long, Simon Love, The Understudies, Leaf Library, Haiku Salut, A Fine Day for Sailing, Shirley Lee, The Hidden Messages, The School, Pocketbooks, MJ Hibbett, Punk Wedding and Moose Factory.

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