On September 18th the Quaker Friends Meeting House will host an evening of music, film and art inspired by a book of poetry discovered in Gloucestershire Archives. 

'From us to you: People Too' is described as ‘poetry instilled in sound, captured by film, expressed through art’. This is a special performance that takes an intimate and creative approach to ‘From Me to You: Love poems’ by U. A. Fanthorpe and R. V. Bailey - a couple who lived together in Wotton-under-Edge until Fanthorpe died in 2009. 

Ursula Fanthorpe was a teacher at Cheltenham Ladies’ College, where she met Rosemarie Bailey. Both have spoken about their faith in the Quaker community, and how accepted they felt in it, and the venue for this event was chosen in honour of that connection. 

The book, a copy of which is held in Gloucestershire Archives, doesn’t indicate which poem was written by which author, calling it a kind of ‘comic modesty’. The event will aim to connect the words with art and music to highlight the authors' lived experience, the life they made together and the love they had for one another.

This performance and exhibition offers an opportunity to see how the artists have expressed their own response to the poems and the relationship between the authors. “The recording sessions had to be done in the Quaker Meeting House” says the project lead, Grayson Livingston. “The space probably informed the music and the art as much as the poetry - being able to imagine U.A and Rosemarie here, inspired by both their writing and their love for one another. Each of the artists had a unique response, and these influences will all come together for this event. We’re also inviting responses from our audience - to make this a special collaboration between us all.”

The event is free to attend but places are limited, so booking is required on the Voices Gloucester website - www.voicesgloucester.org.uk