Education ViVA

Tis Death to Break a Frame
Assembly Rooms, Derby
21 June 2011

"'Tis Death to Break a Frame was fantastic; quite possibly the finest piece of participatory music performance I’ve ever seen. Brilliant." - (Pete Meakin, Artistic Producer, Derby LIVE)

On Tuesday 21st June 2011 history was brought to life at the Assembly Rooms, Derby through sinfonia ViVAs performance of ’Tis Death to Break a Frame which marked the 200th anniversary of the Luddite Uprising. The piece, commissioned by sinfonia ViVA and written by librettist Hazel Gould and composer James Redwood, told the story of Billy who is set to take over his grandfather's business. Grandfather knits in his cottage on a stocking frame he rents from the factory on the hill. The cottage business is in decline and Billy is torn between carrying on his grandfather's work or moving with the times and getting a job at the factory.

"I learnt how horrible it was to be in the factory." - (Participant, Griffe Field Primary School)

Students from Becket Primary School, Creswell Junior School, Glebe Junior School, Griffe Field Primary School, St Werburgh's Primary School and Walter Evans Primary School took part in the project and performed alongside sinfonia ViVA at the Assembly Rooms, Derby. The participating schools started learning songs from the piece with sinfonia ViVA's Choral Advisor David Lawrence and pianist Rob Challinor in April 2011. David and Rob visited each of the groups for a choral workshop during which they sang through the songs from 'Tis Death to Break a Frame and they helped the participants improve their singing technique.

"David made it fun and easy and he was a very good conductor." - (Participant, Glebe Junior School)

Over the course of the project each of the groups visited either Ruddington Framework Knitters' Museum or Pleasley Vale Mills for an inspiration day which you can read more about by following this link.

"I really enjoyed making the scarves and learning about how the knitters would have lived." - (Participant, St Werburgh's Primary School)

During the project each of the participant groups created their own song which would form part of the final piece. Each group had a writing workshop with librettist Hazel Gould during which they wrote lyrics which they would later turn into a song with composer James Redwood. Following on from the first creative music workshop with James each of the groups had another and this time James was joined by ViVA musicians Matthew Dunn (clarinet) and Tim Gunnell (percussion). James took the songs created by the young people and orchestrated them so sinfonia ViVA could accompany the participants at the final performances.

"My favourite part of the project was performing and writing our song." - (Participant, Becket Primary School)

On Monday 20 June 2011 all the participants came together for a massed rehearsal with David Lawrence, James Redwood, Hazel Gould and the workshop musicians Rob Challinor, Matthew Dunn, Tim Gunnell and Jack Ross (guitar) at the Assembly Rooms, Derby. On this day the participants rehearsed the parts of the piece they would be performing together and they also shared the songs they had created with each other. Also at this rehearsal the participants met the soloists Rachel Little (soprano), Darren Abrahams (tenor) and Robert Davies (baritone) for the first time. They rehearsed together and the young people enjoyed this rare opportunity to hear professional opera singers at such close distance.

"My favourite part was Mr Newton and Granddad (Robert Davies). I had never heard a voice so low!!!" - (Participant, Griffe Field Primary School)

On Tuesday 21 June all the young people and the soloists returned to the Assembly Rooms for their final rehearsal and this time they were joined by 15 members of sinfonia ViVA. The massed ensemble spent the morning rehearsing prior to the schools' performance in the afternoon. At this performance the choir was joined by young voices from schools across Derby and Derbyshire and this massed choir of 600 voices gave the world premiere performance of ’Tis Death to Break a Frame conducted by David Lawrence. That evening the 180 participants gave another performance of ’Tis Death to Break a Frame for members of the general public and their friends and family, it was an exhilarating performance that was enjoyed by both the audience and young people alike.

"I enjoyed singing with the orchestra playing right in front of me." - (Participant, Walter Evans Primary School)

On Wednesday 22 June 2011 the participants from Creswell and Glebe Junior Schools along with soloists Darren Abrahams and Rachel Little presented extracts from ’Tis Death to Break a Frame at an intimate performance at Bolsover Castle. The concert was attended by local dignitaries and friends and family of the performers. The performance in the magical historic setting provided a fitting conclusion to the project.

"When our voices collided with the music it was phenomenal." - (Participant, Creswell Junior School)

’Tis Death to Break a Frame was run in partnership with Bolsover District Council, Derby City Council, Orchestras Live, Pleasley Vale Mills, Ruddington Framework Knitters' Museum and sinfonia ViVA. The project was generously supported by Heritage Lottery Fund, Rolls-Royce plc, Derby City Council, Bolsover District Council, Derby LIVE, Derbyshire County Council, English Heritage, Orchestras Live, sinfonia ViVA and Arts Council England.

Images from the project...