Music that transforms the spoken words of folk legends

Using the rhythms and natural melody found in Irish speech, composer and producer Gerry Diver has created a unique collection of new compositions.  The Speech Project features exclusive spoken word contributions from seminal Irish folk musicians including Shane MacGowan, Damien Dempsey, Christy Moore, Martin Hayes and Danny Meehan and archive interviews from Margaret Barry and Joe Cooley.  Key phrases from recorded interviews are the seeds from which his compositions grow into ground-breaking and beautiful works. 

The music was graciously described by one of the interviewees as “a kind of folk minimalism on the cutting edge of folk crossover”.   The live musicians include Gerry Diver and special guest Lisa Knapp who interact live with the Speech Project recordings.  Specially commissioned videos have also been made for selected works. 

Inspirational local song maker and performer Matt Sage will support with songs rich in melody and carefully crafted, heartfelt lyrics. His single Still The Machine was chosen as the sound track to a Greenpeace and Oxfam film broadcast across 2011 Glastonbury Festival and in the same summer Matt was personally invited by nine times Grammy winner Diana Krall to open for her at Kenwood House, London.  Alongside his solo career, he founded the now legendary Oxford, London and New York performance night Catweazle Club and has promoted some of the world’s finest musicians as Big Village.

“A great artist” Gilles Peterson (Matt Sage)

Co-promoted by OCM and Big Village. 

Bookings: 01865 319 450 / Online at the right of this page / In person at the Oxford Playhouse and the North Wall Arts Centre