Education ViVA

Beanbag Proms: Scuttle! Wriggle! Buzz!
Saturday 21st February 2009
Royal Concert Hall Foyer, Nottingham

Continuing the success of the Beanbag Proms series over 360 children under 6 and their families joined sinfonia ViVA, Julia Damassa as Beanie Bear and Alasdair Malloy for Scuttle! Wriggle! Buzz!

"We like the individual solo sections at the start." - Parent

"A charismatic and enthusiastic conductor really made it." - Parent

Scuttle! Wriggle! Buzz! continued with the ViVA musicians performing some well-loved classical pieces relating to the theme of bugs. This began with Scritch Scratch Polka by Johann Strauss II, which saw all of the children and their families wriggling along to the music. This was followed by The Dragonfly by Josef Strauss and the very popular Flight of the Bumble Bee by Nicolai Rimsky Korsakov.

"The way that Alasdair always engages the children is amazing. The arrangements are always fab to play too." - Musician

The favourite performance of the day was without doubt The Ugly Bug Ball by Richard and Robert Sherman to which the children all sang and danced along. During the next performance of The Grasshopper's Dance by Ernst Luigi Bucalossi, the audience was up on their feet dancing and clapping. The children and their families then enjoyed a performance by the musicians of The Tarantella for Tarantulas by Giaocchino Rossini.

"Loved the Ugly Bug Ball – we like a story with the music!." - Parent

At the end of the concert the musicians performed Spanish Flea by Herb Alpert as the audience, Beanie Bear and Alasdair danced along energetically.

"Really enjoyed it – came away 'buzzing!'." - Parent

As always at the end of the performance, the children were encouraged to meet the musicians and have a go on some of their instruments. This was particularly popular as the children were able to see and in some cases play the instruments up close.

"The most effective part of the concert was seeing and hearing the different instruments and being able to try them." - Parent

"The pace and structure is excellent – the children seem to pay attention throughout." - Musician

This work has been generously supported by Arts Council England, Nottingham City Council, Orchestras Live and the Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham. We would also like to acknowledge the generous support of John Lewis, Nottingham; The Whitaker Charitable Trust, Helen Jean Cope Trust, D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust and the JN Derbyshire Charitable Trust.

Images from the project...