Making Sense

Making Sense, titled so after the eponymous book of poetry by Dide, is a performance of jazz songs and poetry between soprano Dide and pianist Will Fergusson.

The poems you will hear are from Dide's book, which is on sale at the back of the venue. The songs are from the era of jazz and blues. These finely crafted love songs by the likes of Gershwin and Kurt Weill often wear their hearts on their sleeves - quite different to the more ambiguous approach of the poems. However both the chosen poems and songs revolve around similar themes - such as loss, pain and love - trying to grasp similar concepts and experiences through different means. We feel that the contrast between them complement each other, and hope this makes sense!

Dide is a soprano-composer-violinist, poet and painter. Some music highlights include collaborating with MIT, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Centre, Royal Ballet School, London Contemporary School of Dance, Philharmonia Orchestra, Mind Charity, Aldeburgh Music, and performing internationally. Her debut poetry pamphlet Growing was published in 2022 and her debut poetry collection Making Sense in 2023, to rave reviews. She was twice selected by the Royal Society of British Artists as a Rising Star in 2023 and 2024. She won the Society of Women Artists Young Artist Award and an International Tera Varna Talent Prize, alongside being selected for the Women in Art Prize and Aesthetica Art Prize. She was Art on a Postcard’s highest 10 selling artists for International Women’s Day. She is also a linguist.

Will is a pianist composer and curator of some repute working in East Anglia. He has over the years featured as recital soloist accompanist, choral repetiteur and in many ensembles covering a wide variety of styles and genres including jazz, salsa and electronica.
Creativrly this breath has lead to some interesting results including 'Tenth' a 45 minute work for piano and AI technology reworking Beethoven's symphonic sketches. Tonights concert offers scope for his jazz sensibilities, lending accompaniment to Dide's eclectic verse and sumptuous vocality.

More info at www.dide.uk and @_d_i_d_e_.