Education ViVA
More Glass Than Wall @ Buxton Festival
15th July 2008
From May to July this year four schools from the Buxton area worked on a project centered on More Glass than Wall, a newly commissioned oratorio by composer James Redwood and librettist Cathy Grindrod, as part of the Buxton Festival. The project celebrated the life of Bess of Hardwick in the year of the 400th anniversary of her death and involved pupils from Chapel-en-le-Frith Primary School, Hague Bar Primary School, Thornsett Primary School and Whaley Bridge Primary School.
"It was amazing – my whole body just felt like I was going to fly." - Whaley Bridge Participant
The school groups worked with choral animateur David Lawrence and repetiteur Matt Beckingham to learn the new work as well as working with composer and workshop leader James Redwood and a team of sinfonia ViVA musicians to create their own original songs to be performed within the new work.
"Such inspiring and exciting work on this allowed their creativity and imagination to blossom in full. They greatly valued being listened to and being able to develop their own ideas and actions." - Whaley Bridge Teacher
Each school enjoyed workshops with David Lawrence and Matt Beckingham and then solely with Matt Beckingham to build on the work started with David and to familiarise the young students with the music. In between each of these sessions, the teachers continued work on this material with their students.
"My favourite part was meeting James, Marianne, David, Matt, Nic and Anthony and making a song." - Whaley Bridge Participant
As well as the choral sessions, each school took part in creative sessions with the composer James Redwood and the sinfonia ViVA team. During these sessions the young people created their own songs which were performed as part of the oratorio during the final performance in July.
"I learned that young people can write songs." - Thornsett Participant
On 14 July 2008, a large scale joint rehearsal was held including all of the schools which was led by David Lawrence and James Redwood and supported by the sinfonia ViVA team and Matt Beckingham.
"I loved the part when we sang our song." - Whaley Bridge Participant
During this session the students came together for the first time and rehearsed as a massed choir and to bring the whole piece together. During the afternoon the young people were also joined by soloists Sophie Grimmer (Bess) and Robert Davies (Narrator) to rehearse all together for the first time.
"The mix of schools really raised the game for all of the singers. After an initial wariness, singing just got better and better as they heard each other and felt inspired to try even harder." - James Redwood, Composer
On 15 July 2008, the choir came together with sinfonia ViVA for the first time. During the morning the massed ensemble of 120 students, soloists and orchestra rehearsed together and this was followed by two performances.
"When I heard the orchestra playing the song we wrote I felt simply amazed." - Whaley Bridge Participant
The first performance was a schools concert in the afternoon, during which the audience were encouraged to join in with the choir for some sections of the performance. The final evening performance was given to friends, family, guests and the general public and was extremely well-received.
The project was generously supported by Rolls-Royce plc, Derbyshire County Council, Orchestras Live, sinfonia ViVA, Bingham Trust, Granada Foundation, Joyce Fletcher Charitable Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, Idlewild Trust, Peter Moores Foundation, PRS Foundation, Zochonis Charitable Trust and Arts Council England
Images from the project...
