“Wonderful”
– The Wire
Award-winning performer-composers Emily Levy & Matthew Bourne’s Mercury Songs is a powerful reimagining of British folk, rooted in our country’s radical history and inspired by Julia Varley, a pioneering British activist, trade unionist, suffragette, and social reformer. She devoted her life to improving the working conditions of women and was jailed twice for her suffragist protests, leaving a legacy of tireless advocacy for the rights of working women.
A 5-piece ensemble weaves together a delicate, experimental orchestration with rich vocal textures, drawing from traditional British folk songs to tell stories of empowered women, challenging familiar tropes of tragic heroines or seductresses with bold narratives of agency and defiance.
Created for the PRS Foundation New Music Biennial, the original 15-minute piece was premiered in 2025, broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and released by NMC Recordings. This is the world premiere of the full work.
Mercury Songs is co-commissioned by Spitalfields Music and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
Emily Levy Composer, Voice, Electronics
Matthew Bourne Composer, Piano, Cello, Synth
Mick Bardon Cello
Nick Rasle Guitar, Voice
Aby Vulliamy Viola, Voice
