Education ViVA

Connection
Connected to Music
Royal & Derngate, Northampton
Tuesday 25 May 2010

Over 250 participants from seven schools in Daventry came together on 25 May 2010 for a performance at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton with sinfonia ViVA and soloist Kim-Marie Woodhouse (Mezzo Soprano) conducted by Stuart Stratford. This concert was part of the Connected to Music project which was delivered in partnership with Orchestras Live, Northamptonshire County Council, Royal & Derngate, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and sinfonia ViVA.

"I had a wonderful experience and I am now even more enthusiastic about pursuing a career as a professional French Horn player." - Participant, Danetre

Connected to Music was launched in October 2009, with an event at the Royal & Derngate, and ran for the length of the school year. It was one of five national Music Partnership Projects that received funding from the then Department for Children, Schools and Families, now the Department for Education. The project involved a wide age range of participants including primary school pupils, secondary school students, teachers from the participating schools, staff from the local music centre and two student music leaders.

"Thank you very much for several Saturdays full of fun and an amazing concert. I found it very enjoyable and inspirational working with the professional musicians and I learnt a lot. It was amazing playing in a venue like the Derngate and I really enjoyed watching and hearing the professional orchestra and the great range of sounds they were able to make. The whole project was fantastic and I would love to take part in this type of event again in the future." - Participant, Daventry Music Centre

Students and staff from Ashby Fields Primary School, Falconer's Hill Primary School, Southbrook Junior School, Daventry Abbey VC Junior School, Danetre School, William Parker School, The Grange School and Daventry Music Centre worked with Creative Director Tim Steiner and the creative ensemble, made up of sinfonia ViVA and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra musicians, classroom teachers and instrumental teachers, to create new music together through a series of monthly creative music workshops from December 2009 to July 2010.

"I would like to say thank you - Tim Steiner and his team and all the adults that supported and looked after us – ever so much for giving me the experience of a life time." - Participant, Danetre

ViVA players David Ayre (double bass), Anthony Thompson (trumpet) and Matthew Dunn (clarinet) and Education Manager Marianne Barraclough formed part of the ViVA creative ensemble. They were joined by gap year student Christine Andrews (baritone saxophone/violin), teachers James Tibbles (trumpet) and Tom Hargrave (piano) from Danetre School, Lyn Stowe (recorder and violin) from Southbrook Junior School and Jane Hargrave (violin) from Daventry Music Centre. They along with Creative Director Tim Steiner worked with Daventry Abbey VC Junior School, Southbrook Junior School, Danetre School and Daventry Music Centre to create original music inspired by a range of repertoire. This included Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, which was performed by the RPO at a schools concert on 2 March 2010 and El Amor Brujo by Manuel de Falla which sinfonia ViVA performed at the collaborative concert on 25 May 2010.

"I would just like to thank you for all your help on this project - I had such a good time. Mum said some of your enthusiasm must have rubbed off on me because she doesn't have to nag me so much to practice my saxophone!” " - Participant, Daventry Music Centre

The programme for the Connection concert on 25 May was a mixture of newly devised pieces created by the participants with the creative ensemble as well as Tone Roads No.1 by Charles Ives and El Amor Brujo by Manuel de Falla. Participants from Daventry Music Centre and Danetre School composed a piece entitled Fifth of Beethoven and William Parker students also created a new piece which looked to Beethoven's Symphony No.5 for inspiration. Manuel de Falla's El Amor Brujo acted as a source of inspiration for all the participants. They created two new pieces of music in response to it, called Song of Sorrow and Ritual Fire Dance and these new pieces were interspersed with El Amor Brujo in the evening's performance.

"I was so proud and on cloud nine whilst playing those pieces that evening. I have just come back down to earth from such a tremendously brilliant and exciting experience." - Participant, Daventry Music Centre

On Monday 24 May 2010 all the participants came together for the first time at the Daventry Community Centre for a very warm joint rehearsal! They shared the work they had created with each other and practiced the pieces in which all the participants were playing. On Tuesday 25 May 2010 the participants met the 33 piece ViVA orchestra, conductor Stuart Stratford and soloist Kim-Marie Woodhouse (who was brought up in Daventry and educated at three of the participating schools) before a massed rehearsal in which they practiced the music they would play together in the evening’s concert.

"I realise, that to be playing with a professional orchestra at the age of 10, makes me a very lucky musician." - Participant, Daventry Music Centre

They performed to an audience of friends, family and the general public. The performance was spectacular and the young people were extremely proud to be performing their own music alongside the other participants and ViVA. There was great atmosphere in the Royal & Derngate during the concert and the performance was enjoyed by both participants and audience members alike.

"A truly amazing day!! The children from all the schools have pulled it off. After a day of rehearsals the children have performed to a virtually full theatre and have done us all proud. The end result was a unique performance that will inspire children to want to get involved in music. It has provided parents and headteachers the insight to see how music can enthuse, motivate, inspire and develop children's aspirations. Whilst not all of then will want to continue on the music path, what it has taught them is that with determination, focus and practise great things can be achieved." - Ros Peet, Falconers Hill Teacher and Creative Ensemble member

"We feel that Connected was a one time opportunity and should be available to other children in the country. The last performance was worth working so hard for." - Participant, Daventry Music Centre

Connected to Music was delivered in partnership between Orchestras Live, Northamptonshire County Council, Royal & Derngate, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and sinfonia ViVA. It was funded by the Department for Education.

Visit YouTube to see video of the performance [external link].

Images from the project...