Education ViVA

Fever: Halloween
Nottingham Children's Centre, Royal Derby Hospital, Rainbows Children's Hospice, Loughborough and Leicester Royal Infirmary
20-27 October 2010

"A very enjoyable session." - (Staff, Rainbows Children's Hospice)

The latest instalment of ViVA:Fever sessions saw workshop leader Lucy Forde (flute) and ViVA musicians Isobel Adams (viola) and Fiona Asbury (saxophone) tell a spooky tale to participants at Rainbows Children's Hospice, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Nottingham Children's Centre and Royal Derby Hospital. The venues joined in with the Halloween theme by decorating the rooms with witches, pumpkins and spiders webs and some of the participants had prepared some spooky art work prior to the sessions. At each venue there was an hour long workshop where there were moments for the participants to listen and play along with the musicians using percussion instruments.

"The young people enjoyed playing the different instruments." - (Staff, Rainbows Children's Hospice)

Lucy told the story of Tony and Sally who went into the woods to look for the witch and her haunted house but as they crept through the woods they met an array of different characters. Before going into the woods Lucy told the participants about her instrument as did Isobel and Fiona. Tony was represented by Fiona on the saxophone and Isobel played a tune for Sally on the viola and the participants joined in on percussion instruments playing loudly for Tony and softly for Sally. The participants enjoyed the opportunity to see the instruments up close, feel the vibrations as they were played and even try them out.

"The musicians were brilliant involving the children by playing their instruments near them and letting the children play instruments." - (Staff, Nottingham Children's Centre)

As Lucy told the story of Tony and Sally she was accompanied by the musicians. When walking through the woods Tony and Sally saw some skeletons dancing to Take 5, got caught up in a spiders web and Lucy sang Incy Wincy Spider with the participants as everyone felt the spiders web the musicians had brought with them. Next Tony and Sally came across a mouse and the groups sang Three Blind Mice and Lucy then led everyone to play this using hand bells. The participants also kept the musicians on their toes conducting them as they played Three Blind Mice. Tony and Sally also met the Gruffalo in the woods and the musicians played his song.

"As it is a relaxed session, it gives them the opportunity to relax and have fun and hopefully feel happy." - (Staff, Royal Derby Hospital)

Tony and Sally found the witches haunted house and they looked in the window and saw the witch dancing and casting a spell to Moondance but the witch saw Tony and Sally watching her so they ran away but the witch chased them. Tony ran away very quickly and Fiona played quick running music on her saxophone but Sally got caught and Isobel played a sad slow tune to reflect how Sally felt. But Tony ran back to save Sally and the session finished with Lucy teaching the song Tony Chestnut to the participants who joined in with the singing and actions.

"It was fun and enjoyable as well as educational." - (Staff, Nottingham Children's Centre)

These sessions provided a change of pace for the participants and they enjoyed listening to the musicians and playing a range of percussion instruments with them.

"It wasn't long enough." - (Participant, Nottingham Children's Centre)

Fever is supported by The C Charitable Trust, The Thomas Farr Charity and Boots Charitable Trust.