News and Reviews

News: Viva Composition Shortlisted for National Award
Nov 8 2010

Work commissioned by Derby-based orchestra Sinfonia Viva has been nominated for a national award for the second year running.

Music composed by James Redwood and Jack Ross for Viva's Audio Lens education project has been shortlisted in the community and education category of the prestigious British Composer Awards. This is the second year running that Viva-commissioned work has received recognition in the national awards with James Redwood's More Glass than Wall – the centre piece of the Orchestra's work in 2008 with city and county schools to celebrate the life and times of Bess of Hardwick – being one of three shortlisted in the same category in the 2009 awards.

The Audio Lens project involved more than 100 local students who performed alongside professional musicians from Viva and an artist from QUAD at the Assembly Rooms in March 2010 - bringing together original music and animated film.

The young people from Griffe Field Primary School, Littleover Community School, Chellaston Foundation School and Technology College, the Joseph Wright Centre at Derby College and Burton College worked with Viva composers Jack Ross and James Redwood to write some of the music which they performed alongside the composers' Audio Lens composition which has now been nominated for the award.

Viva Chief Executive Peter Helps said: "We are obviously delighted that work commissioned by the Orchestra has been nominated again for the British Composer Awards. It is testament to the ground breaking and innovative work that James Redwood and Jack Ross have been creating for our education projects alongside our own musicians and young people from the city. Of course, we hope that his work clinches the award but just to be shortlisted for the second year running is fantastic in its own right and will help to reinforce Viva's reputation as an Orchestra of national standing based here in the East Midlands."

Composer James Redwood, who has worked with Viva on several previous education projects, continued: "Audio Lens was a wonderful project which provided the opportunity for me and Jack to write a concerto for seven soloists from within Viva, young musicians and Sinfonia Viva. But more than that – the young people had real input into the development of the piece throughout the process. Right from the very start with the visit to QUAD the participants were encouraged to input, and following this session, Jack and I harnessed their wonderful ideas and shaped them into the final piece."

He continued: "The thing that makes this project really stand out is the fact that this wasn't the end of the creative process. During the project we worked with the young people to create their own new music which would form part of the Audio Lens piece. The soloists, participants and orchestra came together to perform the world premiere of Audio Lens at the Assembly Rooms, and it was an extraordinary performance."

Jack Ross added: "The addition of the visuals meant that the audience were able to enjoy the performance on an even deeper level. We gained the inspiration for this entirely new piece through workshops with the young people so much of the credit for being shortlisted for this award must go to them, the Viva players involved in the project and particularly the seven soloists from the Orchestra who brought the music to life."

The project was generously supported by Rolls-Royce plc, Derby City Council, Orchestras Live and Arts Council England.

Well over 300 submissions were sent to BASCA for the British Composer Awards 2010 Awards which fete new works receiving their first UK performance between April 2009 and March 2010. Judging has been taking place during September and October by more than 60 music professionals – most of which are themselves composers – and the Awards ceremony will take place in London on Nov 30.

Media enquiries: Sarah Jenkin-Jones - Tel: 01332 515102/07951 945 665 sarah@jjpublicrelations.co.uk