Live recording from the Metropolitan Room performance

Lonely Woman - Sofijazz

Abertico production
Alberto Lovison
Sofija Knezevic vocals

This Morning

When Veryan was first commissioned to write the ‘Song for Welwyn Garden’, he took lots of books out of the local library to learn more about the history of the town – and became very inspired by the story he learnt. 
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Visions can often be realised through chance happenings and this was the case with Ebenezer Howard. On his way back to London from Letchworth Garden City, which he was already building, he noticed that many farms in the Welwyn area were up for sale, due to the two very poor growing seasons that had just passed. He seized this opportunity to buy land reasonably cheaply to fulfil his dream. Ebenezer collaborated with a young, recently graduated architect, Louis de Soissons, for the first phase of the building of the town. 
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A Song for Welwyn Garden was created as a result of Veryan's response to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council's call for ideas to celebrate the town's 90th birthday. He suggested a song, and they agreed it was a great idea. Veryan found the poem, by F. Peel, in a book by Roger Filler – ‘A History of Welwyn Garden City’. The song uses pentatonic material in the same way as the Tessellations pieces as well as adapting the introduction to Josquin Desprez – Qui Habitat, or perhaps in this context – Key Habitat. The song was originally performed by The Townspeople’s Choir, a group of African drummers from the Welwyn Hatfield Ethnic Minority Group and the Vociferous Choir. 
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This BBC Jazz on Three version was multitracked in Phoenix Studios (Pinewood) by the Vociferous Choir) who consist of the following singers: 
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Annette Giesriegl (Austria) – improvisation vocalist. Specialist in extended vocal techniques, excellent working knowledge of South Indian singing. Detailed biog: <A href="http://www.annettegiesriegl.at/about.html" rel=nofollow target=_blank>http://www.annettegiesriegl.at/about.html</A> 
Dorothea Jaburek (Born Italy, Austrian citizen) – singer/lyricist. Trained in classical violin, has performed jazz in America and won ‘Best Austrian newcomer’ 2006. 
Franz Schmuck (Born Canada, Austrian citizen) - drummer/percussionist/singer. Research in African and Balinese percussion, Research in Siberian singing and Swiss yodelling. 
Patrik Thurner (Austria) – singer. Studied Music Education in Voice and Instruments. Choir-leader and conductor, having studied composition arranging and jazz theory at Kunstuniversitat, Graz. 
Siruan Kueng (Father is Kurd, mother is Austrian) – singer/drummer. Community artist in hospitals with various bands. Specialist skills – beatboxing, jazz and world singing. 
Sofia Knezevic (Serbia) – singer/pianist. Already considerable success and experience in European youth music projects and worked with many established jazz musicians in USA. <A href="http://www.sofijaknezevic.com" rel=nofollow target=_blank>http://www.sofijaknezevic.com</A> 
Iris Ederer (Austria) - singer. Jazz Masters at Kunstuniversitat, Graz. Organised and conducted the Chorfestival in Graz and Weiz, May 2010. 
Anush Apoyan (Armenia) – singer/pianist/composer. Performance and broadcasts in Armenia, first prizes in composition and voice. 
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Lyrics are by a local person called F Peel, and go like: 
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‘Garden Cities, Garden Cities’ 
Cries the stranger, ‘what are they? 
Idle fancies of a dreamer, 
Doomed to perish in a day? 
Came the answer from a dweller 
Who has seen the city grow 
From a solitary building 
To the garden-homes we know 
‘They are more freaks of fancy – 
Fleeting phantoms of the air 
Vain and transient as a day-dream; 
They are real as they are fair. 
Humbly proud of their beginnings, 
Howard’s cities deftly planned, 
Reared in Nature’s richest Gardens, 
Draped by Nature’s lavish hand. 
They are not as other cities 
Cursed with gloom and garish glare – 
Hectic rush and dim of traffic 
Squalid slum and reeking air; 
Cities they of flower and fragrance 
Music haunting wood and wold 
Magic calm where evening lingers 
In a light of softened gold’. 
May they clad and crowned with honour 
Burning with divine desire 
Ever bide in peace and beauty 
And to noblest fame aspire.



A Song for Welwyn Garden

a song from my new album

If you are a Grammy voting member please consider listening to the few tunes in this playlist (or the full album at www.elliotmason.org) and consider us for your vote in the category of Best Jazz Vocal Album, Improvised Jazz Solo, Best Instrumental composition and a Best instrumental and vocal arrangement

Let Me Ask You Something

Say So feat. JoJo

Empty Pan
music by :Sofijazz & Elliot Mason

Empty Pan

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