Benjamin Till

100 Faces

Commissioned by BBC North East & Cumbria and BBC Outreach

First Broadcast:
December 2012

Orchestra:
The English Philharmonia

Lighting Cameraman:
Keith Blackburn

Sound production & engineering:
Andy Bell

Edited by:
Karis Jones @ Three Motion Media

Produced by Nell Gordon

Executive Producers:
Helen Amess and Phil Roberts

Composed and directed
by Benjamin Till

100 Faces features one hundred people born in one hundred different years, across Cumbria and the North East.

Each sings or says why 2012 was important to them. Some reveal that the simple things in life can provide us with memorable milestones ("I learned to ride without stabilisers.") whilst others tick off the rites of passage: having babies; buying houses; overcoming illnesses and dealing with grief.

Some talk of the mundane, while others have experienced events which most of us will never be able to comprehend, from the lad who won Olympic gold, to the woman whose house burned down.

The saddest of the comments perhaps belongs to a chap in his 70s, who simply says, "I'm struggling without my wife."  The 100-year old leaves us with a smile, however. In 2012, a leap year, she finally reached the ripe old age of 25!