As Grizabella returns near the end of the musical, she sings the full version of the song as she pleads for acceptance, with Jemima joining in briefly to urge her on. The first instance occurs at the beginning of the second act after "The Moments of Happiness", and the second instance occurs near the end of the second act right before Grizabella's final appearance. Melodic fragments of "Memory" are then sung twice in a higher D major key by Jemima (also known as Sillabub), a young cat who is sympathetic to Grizabella's plight. She sings a prelude version of "Memory" at the end of the first act, recalling the time before she became an outcast. For most of the musical, Grizabella is ostracized by her fellow Jellicle cats. In Cats, "Memory" is sung primarily by Grizabella, a one-time "glamour cat" who has fallen on hard times and is now only a shell of her former self. In 2020, Jessie Thompson of the Evening Standard wrote, "Paige’s version set the standard and enabled Memory to become one of the most recognisable musical theatre songs of all time." Context "Memory" was named the Best Song Musically and Lyrically at the 1982 Ivor Novello Awards. According to musicologist Jessica Sternfeld, writing in 2006, it is "by some estimations the most successful song ever from a musical." Įlaine Paige originated the role of Grizabella in the West End production of Cats and was thus the first to perform the song publicly on stage. "Memory" is the climax of the musical and by far its best-known song, having achieved mainstream success outside of the musical. It was written for the 1981 musical Cats, where it is sung primarily by the character Grizabella as a melancholic remembrance of her glamorous past and as a plea for acceptance. " Memory" is a show tune composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Trevor Nunn based on poems by T. Rachel Landon, MiSST chief executive, said: “If governments are serious about creating equal opportunity in education, programmes like MiSST are exactly where they should be focused.Song written for the 1981 musical "Cats" "Memory"įrom the album Cats: Complete Original Broadway Cast Recording “Now, more than ever, we must reverse the tide on musical education and recognise the transformational impact it can have for our children, schools, communities and society at large,” it said. The letter urged the government, and all future governments, to help scale up the work of the trust, targeting the most disadvantaged schools in the most disadvantaged areas, starting with the 80 schools on the trust’s waiting list. Every child deserves to be empowered through music, no matter their background, race or religion.” It continued: “For many years, music education in schools has been scaled back – at a time when we have never needed it more. It is a universal language that can transcend borders, cultures and differences and bring people together.” “Most pertinently, in a world that feels more divided than at any point in my lifetime, and with conflict raging around the world with incalculable consequences, music has a unique ability to unite. Lloyd Webber’s letter said: “From improved cognitive development, communication skills and problem solving to greater confidence, self-esteem and social development, music has a profound impact on young people’s lives. The cost of the programme is initially £200 a year for each student, which drops to £132 once a school has been running the programme for three years. It says there is also a 10% increase in pupils’ self-confidence and resilience, and many students report that music helps to improve their happiness, and sometimes turn their life around. The MiSST provides instruments, lessons as part of the curriculum and a developed programme for children in years 7, 8 and 9 in schools in England, including in London, Barnsley, Bournemouth, Middlesbrough and Cumbria.Īccording to the trust, across all subjects taught in its partner schools – not just music – children are getting half a grade more than predicted, and some are going on to study at the likes of Oxford, Cambridge and the Royal College of Music. The letter was co-signed by industry figures including Liam Gallagher, Katherine Jenkins, Nicola Benedetti, Julian Lloyd Webber, the Kanneh-Mason family and Jonathan Vaughan, the principal of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
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