Forgotten Songs and Stories

A celebration of community, heritage, songs and stories featuring singers, storytellers, poets and musicians with members of the Bristol Ensemble Strings and Jazz Quintet. Composed and created by double bassist Daphna Sadeh-Neu this is a unique collaboration that originated with Global Majority women in Bristol and will be a debut performance at the Bristol Beacon.

Forgotten Songs & Stories is an original new work formed from workshops with an inspiring group of 15 South Asian, East Asian, African, Middle Eastern, South American, Jewish, Irish and Refugee women. The compositions, poetry and songs share an intimate celebration of their stories, with a central thread connecting generational memory, resilience and community. Rich and deeply honest, the concert chronicles tales of migration to new homes and belonging, from tradition and ceremony to love and marriage, from darkness and trauma to moments of hope and joy.

The show’s collective of artists encompasses a wealth of talent spanning the worlds of jazz, classical and Middle Eastern music. The narrative is interwoven with storytelling, vocals and a 7-piece string ensemble alongside double bass, saxophone, percussion, piano and oud. The stories are testament to how the remarkable power of creativity can bring women’s personal histories to life for wider audiences: connecting people through memory and empowering unity.

Tickets £10.90 (£5.45 for under 18s and unwaged), including booking fee, available from Bristol Beacon box office online and by phone on 0117 203 4040.

Presented by Daphna Sadeh-Neu
With thanks to Arts Council England for their generous support of this project