Different Trains 1947

Taking its structural basis from Steve Reich’s landmark work Different Trains – a revolutionary piece of documentary music – this is a new work, featuring music, archival footage and interviews with those who lived through this pivotal period of history, brought together by a dynamic creative team. Abstract beatmaker Actress, composer Jack Barnett, producer Sandunes, percussionist Jivraj Singh, vocalist Priya Purushothaman and filmmakers Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard collaborate to contemplate the events of 1947 that led to the partition of India, creating an audiovisual journey through one of the most fascinating countries in the world.

While the piece draws inspiration from Different Trains; a piece which collected footage and audio recounting train journeys in the US and Europe during WWII, this project shifts the location to India in 1947, distilling the narrative of life during India’s transition to independence, and the wider impact of train travel on the human experience.