The Music & Poetry 2nd session took place at a perfectly suited pop-up venue, Unit 8, Makers Yard on Friday the 14th of November. An intimate performance by Diane (Saxophone and Piano), Xoanxo (Voice) and StontheDon (guitar).
Another session where Music, Poetry and Art came alive within the confines of this new haven of creativity at the heart of Aldershot Town Centre. The sound of Diane’s saxophone, StontheDon’s guitar and Xoanxo’s voice resonated within the rough walls of this rather vast empty commercial space, yet subtly adorned by Xoanxo’s colourful paintings as a back drop.
Below is a brief summary of the nights performances:
Masquerade, Life and Unrehearsed
Together and unrehearsed, they performed Xoanxo’s poem “Masquerade”, a kind of emotional echo chamber — a quiet, reflective space where mask-falling and self-confrontation feel possible. A poem that doesn’t force clarity or moral lessons; rather, it invites empathy, introspection, and the courage to feel.
Masquerade — A Poetic Performance by Xoanxo, Diane and StontheDon,
In Masquerade, Xoanxo invites the listener into a deeply intimate space where poetry and music merge to explore the hidden layers of identity. This performance unfolds like a quiet confession — a moment where the masks we wear begin to slip, revealing the fragile truths beneath them.
Through a stripped-down aesthetic and a voice that carries both restraint and vulnerability, Xoanxo guides us into the tension between what we show the world and what we guard inside. The piece moves with deliberate pacing, each pause giving breath to emotion, each line echoing the universal struggle between authenticity and self-protection.
The “sentimental mood” musical backdrop style, amplifies this emotional landscape rather than decorating it. The soundscape lingers softly behind the words, allowing the poem’s reflections on facade, longing, and inner truth to resonate more deeply. It’s a performance that doesn’t seek spectacle — instead, it creates space for stillness, introspection, and honest connection.
Masquerade is an ode to the complexity of being human: to the fear of being seen, the desire to be understood, and the quiet courage it takes to look at ourselves without our disguises. It’s a work that invites its audience not just to listen, but to feel — to confront their own masks, and perhaps, for a moment, to set them down.
What sets this piece apart is the understated musical landscape shaped by StontheDon’s guitar and Diane’s saxophone. StontheDon lays the foundation: warm, atmospheric chords that drift like soft light across the room. Its gentle strumming doesn’t push the poem forward; instead, it opens space around the words, letting each line land with intention. The guitar becomes the emotional ground — steady, calm, and reflective.
Above this, Diane’s saxophone weaves itself in like a voice of its own — soulful, wandering, almost conversational. Its tone carries a sense of longing, a slight ache that mirrors the poem’s meditation on concealment and truth. The sax doesn’t compete with the spoken word; it responds to it, echoing emotions that remain unspoken. At times it feels like an exhale, at others a question left hanging in the air.
Together, the guitar and sax create a soundscape that is neither busy nor ornamental. Instead, they sculpt an atmosphere where the poem’s themes — identity, façade, vulnerability — can resonate more deeply. The music becomes an extension of the poem’s emotional logic: introspective, restrained, and quietly haunting.
Masquerade ultimately invites its audience into a shared moment of honesty. Through xoanxo’s voice, the tender pull of the StontheDon’s guitar, and the soulful lines of Diane’s saxophone, the performance becomes a meditation on what we hide, what we reveal, and the quiet courage required to step out from behind our own masks.
But, better still, please see below and judge for yourself