Education ViVA

Floratorio
Assembly Rooms, Derby
22 June 2010

On Tuesday 22 June 2010 at the Assembly Rooms in Derby 185 primary school children from six schools across Derby and Derbyshire performed alongside sinfonia ViVA conducted by David Lawrence in the premiere performance of Floratorio, a new oratorio written by composer and workshop leader James Redwood and librettist Peter Roberts. Floratorio tells the story of Florence Nightingale and forms part of Illuminate 2010 a festival celebrating the life of Florence in the year of the 100th anniversary of her death.

"I just loved listening to the orchestra." - Participant, Becket Primary School

In March 2010 teachers from the six participating primary school met with David Lawrence and James Redwood for a planning session where they were introduced to the five songs the massed choir were going to perform during the concert. This planning session was followed by the first choral sessions led by David Lawrence. Along with Matt Beckingham (piano) David visited Becket Primary School, Bishop Lonsdale Primary School, Crich Junior School, Firs Estate Primary School, Lea Primary School and St Werburgh's Primary School. In these sessions the participants were taught five songs from Floratorio which they would later perform at the Assembly Rooms all together.

"At the end when you perform you feel really good about yourself." - Participant, Becket Primary School

As part of the project all the participants visited a disused ward at the London Road Community Hospital, formally the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary, the design of which Florence Nightingale was consulted on, for an animated ward inspiration day in April 2010. The day was led by James Redwood and the Babbling Vagabonds and each school group took part in a music, writing and drama workshop. The visit provided information on the life and times of Florence Nightingale and helped inspire the participants to create their own songs.

"I loved the trip to the hospital and hearing gruesome stuff!" - Participant, Lea Primary School

In May 2010 each group had another choral session with David before having their first creative music session with James and a team of ViVA musicians including Jack Ross (guitar), Clare Bhabra (violin) and Carina Drury (cello). During these sessions each school wrote their own song based around a theme relating to Florence's life, for example war, germs and diseases, Victorian childhood and a woman's place in society. These songs were incorporated into Floratorio and performed at the Assembly Rooms.

"We got to make our very own song up and it was awesome." - Participant, Firs Estate Primary School

On Monday 21 June 2010 all the participants came together for a massed rehearsal at the Assembly Rooms in Derby. They practised sections of Floratorio together and shared their own songs with each other. At this rehearsal they also met the soloists Claire Surman (soprano) and Robert Davies (baritone). On Tuesday 22 June the participants met the 25 piece orchestra conducted by David Lawrence for a massed rehearsal before the premiere performance of Floratorio in a school's performance in the afternoon where the massed choir of nearly 1000 members performed alongside ViVA. In the evening ViVA and the 185 participants gave the second performance to an audience of family, friends and the general public.

"It was all amazing: the orchestra, the singers and the main singers were all brilliant." - Audience participant, Creswell Junior School

On Friday 25 June 2010 young people from Becket Primary School and Bishop Lonsdale Primary School returned to the London Road Community Hospital and the Royal Derby Hospital for a series of short performances. They performed sections of Floratorio conducted by David Lawrence and James Redwood with Robert Davies, Claire Surman and a small ViVA ensemble to an audience of hospital workers, patients and visitors. There were lots of smiles from the people that passed by the performers and they received applause and cheers from the crowd. This was a great way to round off the project returning to the place where it all began.

"I liked when we made up a song and when James pretended to be Florence Nightingale." - Participant, Bishop Lonsdale Primary School

The project was documented by Katapult and a DVD was produced for all participants as a tangible record of their achievements.

Floratorio was generously supported by: Heritage Lottery Fund, Rolls-Royce plc, Tom Carey Fund, Derbyshire Community Foundation, Derby City Council, Derby LIVE, Orchestras Live, sinfonia ViVA and Arts Council England.

Read the libretto (pdf document).

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

Images from the project...