Education ViVA

Floratorio @ Buxton Festival
St John's Church, Buxton
20 July 2010

"I found this project amazing in every single way!" - Participant

120 participants from four schools across Buxton and the surrounding area came together on Tuesday 20 July for two lively performances at St John's Church, Buxton as part of the Buxton Festival. The massed choir performed alongside soloists Claire Surman (soprano) and Robert Davies (baritone) and musicians from sinfonia ViVA and were conducted by David Lawrence. Floratorio celebrates the life of Florence Nightingale in the year of the 100th anniversary of her death and was written by composer James Redwood and librettist Peter Roberts.

"It was a fabulous opportunity for all involved, it's not often we get to sing with a full orchestra." - Teacher, Whaley Bridge Primary School

Pupils from Hague Bar Primary School, Thornsett Primary School, Whaley Bridge Primary School and Burbage Primary School took part in the project that started in April 2010 with a planning session with the teachers from the participating schools. At this session the teachers met the creative team they would be working with during the project and were introduced to the five songs the participants would be learning from Floratorio.

"I really enjoyed learning new songs, singing them and composing our own song plus watching Bob and Claire." - Participant

In May 2010 David Lawrence and Matt Beckingham (piano) visited each of the schools for a choral workshop where the participants were taught the songs from Floratorio. Following on from David's session composer and workshop leader James Redwood had a series of creative music workshops with all the participants. At these sessions James was joined by ViVA musicians Matthew Dunn (clarinet) and Anthony Thompson (trumpet). Each school wrote their own song based around themes relating to Florence's life and these themes included germs and sanitation, war, a woman's place in society and celebrity. The school songs were orchestrated by James and incorporated into the piece so that each school could perform them in the concert with the Orchestra at St John's Church.

"I loved the bit when we performed our song because it made me feel proud." - Participant

During June and July 2010 accompanist Matt Beckingham visited each school for some rehearsal sessions during which the participants practiced the songs from Floratorio and their own song before their final session with David.

"It was extremely fun and I will be very grateful that I have done it in the future!" - Participant

All the schools came together for the first time on Wednesday 14 July for a massed joint rehearsal at St John's Church in Buxton. They were joined by the whole of the creative team and guitarist Jack Ross to rehearse all the parts of the oratorio they would sing together and each school practised their own song. In the afternoon the participants were joined by the soloists Claire Surman and Robert Davies and they practiced with the massed choir for the first time bringing the whole piece together.

"I felt amazing because all the people in the crowd watched us!" - Participant

On Tuesday 20 July the participants met the 15 piece orchestra for the morning rehearsal together. The massed ensemble practiced before giving two performances. The school's performance in the afternoon was a great success with pupils from local schools joining in at various points in the piece. In the evening the participants performed to an audience of friends, family and the general public. It was a brilliant performance which was thoroughly enjoyed by performers and audience members alike.

"You are awesome, fantastic and amazing." - Participant

Floratorio @ Buxton Festival was supported by Buxton Festival, Buxton Natural Mineral Water, Buxton Festival Education Fund, Derbyshire County Council, High Peak Borough Council, the Bingham Trust, the Ernest Cook Trust, Derbyshire Community Foundation, the Martyn Donaldson Music Trust, Dow Hyperlast, the Joyce Fletcher Charitable Trust, the Granada Foundation, the Idlewild Trust, the PRS for Music Foundation the R.V.W. Trust, Orchestras Live, sinfonia ViVA and Arts Council England.

Images from the project...