Local men aged 16-24 are invited to be part of a new immersive, choral experience devised by composer and artist Verity Standen. REFRAIN explores the stories of conscientious objection with a professional ensemble and local male singers.

Newhaven Fort is the last of a long series of defences built on the cliffs overlooking Seaford Bay. During the First World War the Fort became a part of larger defences, linking with Seaford – the site of a work camp that now lies buried underneath the town. The North Camp at Seaford housed a number of conscientious objectors, firstly before their deportation to Northern France, and subsequently for those who refused to fight and were put to work on the road improvements between Seaford and Newhaven.

Singers are being recruited for the project via refrain.online  or by contacting Nancy Gillio-Terry on ngterry@john-lewis.com with any questions. Those who would like to take part do not have to be professional and can come from any sort of musical background or otherwise.

The project will also take place this summer in Yorkshire and Merseyside. 

Verity Standen said: “I am thrilled to be working with such a diverse range of voices - men drawn from all walks of life. I try to leave room for the performers to make the music their own within the compositions I’m writing. I expect the piece to sound and feel totally different in each location, as it will be shaped by the local singers, the architecture and history of each site, and each audience who will explore it in a different way.”