Quimantú, the iconic Anglo-Chilean band that has shaped the musical scene for over four decades, presents the Surtierra Touring Project, a series of 10 concerts of "The Miners' Mass" alongside 200 community singers. The tour will culminate in two major performances in London during Refugee Week 2025, where music and home will meet in a celebration that unites cultures and voices.
The concerts of the Surtierra Touring Project will result from workshops and rehearsals with five local community choirs in Hampshire, Dorset and West Sussex. Notably, the choir formed by the SWVG refugee support group in Southampton will participate alongside others from rural and urban communities, diverse localities and social demographics, in a collective performance to foster social integration, human connections and well-being through music.
With the support of Arts Council England and the Foyle Foundation, this musical project by Quimantú is a response to the generosity of the UK, which welcomed its founder, Mauricio Venegas-Astorga, as a political refugee 47 years ago. Just as music has been a home for him and his collaborators, Quimantú seeks to contribute to welcoming those who are now rebuilding their homes far from their roots, creating opportunities to integrate with their local community, forming connections with the living traditions of English music making and culture, however, that may be defined and expressed locally.
First concerts on the tour:
Southampton: Saturday 7th December 7.30pm. Avenue St Andrew’s URC, The Avenue Southampton SO17 1XQ. Quimantu performing with the Andover Museum Loft Singers,the SWVG Choir and the Alkyona Quartet.
Whitchurch: Sunday 8th December 6.30 pm. All Hallows Church, Whitchurch, Hants RG28 7AS. Quimantu performing with the Andover Museum Loft Singers, the SWVG Choir and the Alkyona Quartet.
