As the world famous Chetham’s Music school prepares to open the doors of the brand new Stoller Hall in April, outreach projects to celebrate gather apace. I was delighted to be asked to join in the fun, visiting schools in Greater Manchester and creating enormous murals based on music. As there were to be four schools, I suggested The Four Seasons, using Vivaldi’s music and sonnets as stimulus for the children.
Certainly the countryside was inspiring, even if we almost had four seasons in one day. Here’s a sunny Spring like moment in Littleborough:
Here’s Vivaldi’s Spring reimagined by the children of Stansfield Hall Primary… in two sections:
When Vivaldi wrote his famous concertos, he also wove into the score instructions on the meanings in the music, which is highly programmatic. It describes the ups and downs of life as a shepherd, as a young lad experiences the seasons in a deceptively idyllic baroque pastoral setting; violent Summer storms, indulgent Autumn feasts and icy Winter winds remind us that the seasons, like other things, in life, do not always work out as hoped for.
Here’s Summer, created by Abbott Community Primary:
First the hot humid beginning… with bees and flies…
And the inevitable storm that follows…:
Vivaldi prefaced the score with sonnets, and taking these, and the instructions in the score, I wrote new verse, in sonnet form, in English, for the children. I have been working on these verse for some time, a longer version was used for a Four Season’s project at Edge Grove school in Hertfordshire.
It was a wonderful experience and the children were absolutely delightful, motivated and charming in equal measure, polite and expert collaborators. Children never cease to amaze…
Unfortunately, halfway through the week, the “Autumn” school decided to cancel at the very last minute due to Ofsted visiting. I’d have thought Ofsted would have approved of the educational richness: History, Geography, Art, Music and Literature are all neatly covered, and as a lovely project linking schools together with Chetham’s in a community, it seems a shame that it couldn’t go ahead. However I had to respect the decision, so the “Winter” school had to create art for both Autumn and Winter in the end, and rose splendidly to the challenge! Here’s the result from Buckdon Vale primary.
Treading grapes and hunting, in the Autumn…
Lastly, a Venetian carnival on ice for Vivaldi’s Winter!
Altogether, around 160 children took part. Their work, created on boards in emulsion paint, will be in temporary installations at Chetham’s during the opening weekend (April 21st-23rd), thereafter returned to the schools.
It was a huge honour to return to Chetham’s, and lovely to catch up with the friends I made there; I’ve not been back since the powerful, unforgettable, WW1 project, which you can read about here: https://www.jamesmayhew.co.uk/2015/02/a-manchester-pastoral.html
As for The Four Seasons, I’ll be painting them myself live on stage with the Baroque string orchestra Realm of Music, in Letchworth Garden City’s own new theatre – The Broadway. It’s on March 5th, and with the sonnets, music and art, promises to be a really glorious event. Tickets are selling very fast, but if you’re quick, you can nab them at: https://www.broadway-letchworth.com/theatre/whats-on#/calendar/2017-03-05
I hope to see you there!
Leave a Reply