Josh Sneesby has won the Royal Shakespeare Company’s birthday song competition with his composition “Under the Greenwood Tree” from As You Like It.
One hundred entries were received from professional and amateur composers who set the words of one of Shakespeare’s songs to music. Nottingham-born Sneesby, 24, received 37% of the public vote.
His song will be performed at Shakespeare’s Birthday Bash on Sunday 26 April at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
Sneesby, who trained at the University of Southampton and with the National Youth Theatre Rep Company, said, “thank you to everyone who voted for my track—I'm hugely flattered.
“This is the first time I've really pushed my personal music into the public forum, so to have this result is just so affirming. The RSC is such an exciting company. It's no exaggeration to say that its work has informed and inspired me in what I do. To be associated with such a company is a real privilege.”
RSC head of music Bruce O’Neil added, “Josh’s pop electronica setting of ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’ wraps around the words an intriguing and unexpected contemporary style of music, with an emphasis on the mesmerizing, robotic plea of ‘come hither’.
"He’s clearly hit the mark with the voting public and we look forward to performing the song on the Royal Shakespeare Theatre stage at Shakespeare’s Birthday Bash.”
You can hear the winning song at the RSC web site.