After the heady (emotional) heights of Noye’s Fludde (see 2 posts below), I was rather grateful to not have time to dwell. Instead I had to immediately prepare for three concerts with various musicians. First of all, I joined in with the schools’ concert in the Town Hall, which showcased several acts from the Cheltenham Music Festival. Philip Smith (our “Noah”) was joined by Dominic Harlan to give a sample of their outstanding “Storytelling in Song” project. I was bowled over by their rapport with the young audience and their energy – and to hear children singing lieder gladdened the heart! They are back in Cheltenham on Sunday. Do GO if you can (details are here: http://www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/music/whats-on/2013/storytelling-in-song/)
Next up, I joined the Carducci quartet for three pieces which I painted along to – great fun and lovely people to work with. The Swingle Singers brought the event to an exciting end.
The next day was my big scary event – The Young Person’s PAINTED Guide to the Orchestra, also at the voluminous Town Hall. How can you paint to this music? That was my immediate question when Meurig Bowen, Festival director, suggested it. And this was the year to find an answer, with Britten’s 100th birthday looming. So I wrote a new script, carefully respecting the purpose of the piece but also giving character to the instruments and humour to the words which were absent rather in 1946, when it was written.
The script was fine tuned in Manchester with a rehearsal at Chetham’s, the famous music school. Conductor Stephen Threlfall entered happily into the spirit of the plan, and together we cooked up some extra things to make the concert more interactive. And Chetham’s brilliant young Symphony Orchestra seemed to enjoy the concept, too.
As always, I can look back and think of different ways or regret using a particular brush at a certain moment. But we did it and judging by the warmth of the audience, they evidently adored the young orchestra and the whole thing had a lovely atmosphere. What superbly talented musicians they are! They gave a magnificent performance of this spectacular score.
My last event was in the beautiful Parabola theatre, a new but traditionally shaped horse-shoe theatre of intimate proportions. I was due to be joined by a Muscovite pianist for The Firebird, but his last-minute cancellation, due to a personal crisis, meant a frantic revision of story and pictures to fit a CD recording. In the event, no one seemed to mind too much, and to make it up to the audience, I offered the story and music and picture of Baba Yaga as an extra. Throughout, I wore a lavish velvet costume (despite the heat!) created for the Rome Opera’s 1957 production of Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Snegurotchka” (The Snow Maiden), which helped me get in a suitably slavic mood. My paintings were inspired by the folk art from Palekh in Russia, and also Kandinsky’s early fairy-tale pictures.
And now I am home, leaving only an exhibition in the Parabola art centre behind (brilliantly organised by Niki Whitfield – thank you!), which displays original designs for Noye’s Fludde. What a week it’s been – thank you to everyone who was part of the adventure; together we truly celebrated the power of music to tell stories and conjure pictures…
My thanks to all those who took pictures, Tobias Benjamin Lever in particular.
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