Education ViVA

Romeo & Juliet
Assembly Rooms, Derby
4 March 2009

"I felt like I was famous and it was like a dream come true performing near an audience." - Participant, Becket Primary School

The Assembly Rooms was alive with the music of Romeo & Juliet on Wednesday 4 March as around 80 young people from across Derby joined with sinfonia ViVA, André de Ridder, James Redwood and 1623 theatre company to perform their own version of the classic story.

"A wonderful experience and perhaps for some the only experience like this they may ever get." - Teacher, St Benedict School

Young people and their teachers from Becket Primary School, Bemrose Community School, Saint Benedict Catholic School & Performing Arts College and Derby College worked closely with music workshop leader and composer James Redwood and a team of musicians from sinfonia ViVA throughout February 2009 to create original music inspired by both Shakespeare's and Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet.

"The pupils worked as hard as they could and were very proud of their performance. The great amount of praise which they received made them realise that if they were so successful with this, they could be successful elsewhere." - Teacher, Becket Primary School

Actors from 1623 theatre company joined the ViVA team for some workshops in order to introduce Shakespeare's story and to develop with the participants a site-specific drama piece, to be performed in the foyer of the Assembly Rooms as the audience arrived for the performance.

"I feel I learnt an awful lot working with the fantastic students of Derby College and James. I almost felt guilty because I enjoyed it so much and learnt so much watching James interact with the students." - ViVA musician

Following a series of intensive creative music and drama sessions, the young people all came together for a massed joint rehearsal, during which they brought all their pieces together with Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, to create one large collaborative piece. During this session the participants met ViVA's Principal Conductor, André de Ridder, who was participating in his first education project with the Orchestra, and worked alongside the young people for the final two days.

"The pieces sounded excellent with ViVA and when I heard a phrase that I had written played in the Orchestra I felt immensely proud." - Participant, St Benedict School

The final day of the project saw the young people meeting the 28-piece Orchestra directed by André de Ridder for a final rehearsal as one large ensemble prior to presenting the culmination performance.

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to play with a professional orchestra. It was hard work but the music sounded spectacular in the end, it was a big achievement." - Participant, Becket Primary School

The performance was inspiring. The newly created sections of the story were interspersed with the existing Prokofiev ballet score and the 1623 actors provided a narrative, using quotes from Shakespeare, for the whole evening.

"Congratulations for a truly special event on Wednesday. It was really amazing how the whole thing fitted together and was very enjoyable BECAUSE of the unique ideas merged between the children/young people, actors and ViVA. James' music was superb and he and André are a winning team of talented and genuine musicians. Please pass on my congratulations and pleasure for being a part of this magic." - Deirdre Bencsik, ViVA musician

The Romeo & Juliet project formed part of the Shakes in the City programme which took place throughout Derby during Spring 2009. Arts organisations joined forces to present an innovative programme of live performances, film and community workshops to celebrate the life and work of William Shakespeare.

"Many, many congratulations on another tremendous residency. These events never fail to astonish me and are always one of the high points of my cultural year!." - Pete Meakin, Artistic Director, Derby LIVE

The project was supported by Rolls-Royce plc, Derby LIVE, Derby City Council, Orchestras Live, Tom Carey Fund, Derbyshire Community Foundation, Arts Council England and sinfonia ViVA

Read Mike Wheeler's review of the culmination concert in our News and Reviews section.

Visit YouTube to see video from the performance and interviews with participants. [external links]

Images from the project...