Education ViVA

Beanbag Prom-otion: Slurp! Crunch! Chew!
John Lewis, Nottingham
Friday 19 February 2010

Julia Damassa as Beanie Bear and a team of ViVA musicians, Dave Ayre (double bass), Matt Dunn (clarinet) and Janina Kopinska (viola), came together in John Lewis, Nottingham to take the audience on a journey into the world of food. This event was held the day before the next instalment of the Beanbag Proms series Slurp! Crunch! Chew! that was at the Royal Centre, Nottingham.

The show opened with The Teddy Bear's Picnic after which Beanie introduced each of the musicians and their instruments separately. Beanie then got the children to lay the picnic rug and after all this hard work everyone was ready for a cup of tea. The children sang along and joined in the actions of I'm a Little Teapot with lots of gusto and helped pour the tea for the picnic with Beanie Bear.

During Tea for Two the children accompanied the musicians either by playing percussion instruments or slurping their tea very loudly when cued by Beanie Bear. A Spoonful of Sugar went down a treat.

After all this tea drinking Beanie was getting very hungry and asked the children their favourite fruit, before asking the musicians, who said theirs was watermelon, but in order to create this musically they needed help from Beanie Bear's gang. The children were given a range of percussion instruments on which to play and they helped out the musicians during Watermelon Man by Herbie Hancock. The children played brilliantly taking the lead of when to play quietly and then loudly from the musicians - they made a great orchestra!

With a rendition of Five Current Buns the children, Beanie Bear and the musicians showed how they would eat their own current bun and the children helped Beanie Bear with the countdown. Beanie Bear then discussed the theme of the concert with the children before the big finale of Food Glorious Food during which the children danced.

At the end of the concert the children had the chance to meet the musicians and their instruments and even try them out!

This work has been generously supported by the John Lewis Partnership.