Singing Uncertainty as an extract.

A public artwork by John Newling. An a capella choral performance piece involving 150 members of the public explores the nature of doubt and the struggle for faith expressed in the Methodist Church’s hymn book.

The event is free but booking is essential. The event will take place at St Mary's Church in the Lace Market in Nottingham on the 2nd December 2010 6pm-8pm. CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE ONLINE FOR THIS EVENT

John Newling's a cappella choral work for Sideshow, ’Singing Uncertainty’, explores the nature of doubt and the struggle for faith expressed in the Church’s hymn book, using 150 singers from the public and from various choirs to individually sing a question in the order that it appears in the hymn book in its original musical notation. ‘Singing Uncertainty’ will fill the space where it is performed with the fragility of a longed for certainty.

The hymn book was one remembered from the artist's early school days where he found hymn singing in the daily school assembly a challenge. Many words were unfamiliar and he sang in some discomfiture, embarrassed and unsure of pronunciation yet still reflecting on what these words were saying. During the scrutiny of hymns in the Hymn book Newling was surprised to see that 147 of them contained questions. Whilst many of the questions were rhetorical they did reflect a very human longing for certainty in a world that is uncertain.

’Singing Uncertainty’ will be followed by drinks at the Sideshow Cafe Bar at One Thoresby Street from 7:30pm – 9pm.