Eaton Bray Lower School gave the orchestra’s musicians a warm and friendly welcome when they met Explorchestra for the first time on 12th September.
The children’s musical adventure was part of the orchestra’s residency in South Bedfordshire which is supported by South Bedfordshire District Council and Orchestras Live. We gratefully acknowledge additional support from The Golsoncott Foundation, Houghton Regis Town Council and Bedfordshire Youth Opportunities Fund.
After initial discussion with Emma van Nieuwenburgh (Arts Development Officer, South Bedfordshire District Council) Headteacher Mrs Sue Hounslow invited OOTS’ Masquerade String Quartet to work with Year three and four pupils on our Between the Lines detective challenge.
The children came well prepared, thanks to Mrs Aldridge’s imaginative use of the orchestra’s staff support notes. The children were full of questions which ranged from “What colour is your front door?” to “what size are your feet?” and “How do you do that plucking stuff?” The aim of the day was to equip the children with information to create biographies, programme notes and drawings for the audience to use at a public performance ten days later. Pupils also decided where individual pieces should be placed in the performance and considered what features made a good ‘start’ piece, how to use variety and contrast in planning a programme, and to think about mood.
Assisting the Badgers Class detectives with their enquiries were OOTS musicians Nick Stringfellow (cello), Mark Chivers (viola), Elizabeth Hodson and Simon Chalk (violins). Careful questioning led the pupils on a journey into the musicians’ world, cast light on their enquiries, and helped to uncover the answers to some of the mysteries surrounding the (cello) case. The early assertion that it was a fridge for cold drinks was dispelled and Nick subsequently received a caution for wasting ‘police’ time.
Pupils were able to present their questions in interview style and to ask everything they’d ever wanted to know. The musicians answered freely and with humour, which was readily returned by the children’s amusement when Simon was asked “What’s your favourite joke?” Badgers Class now knows where you find a dog with no legs.
The school visit was linked to Masquerade’s ‘Swan Unbuttoned’ public performance in the local community, part of the District Council’s Rural Rhythms programme which features Orchestra of the Swan in many guises. The biographies, programme notes and pictures the children created after the visit were printed with pride and used with pleasure by the audience- which included children and parents as well as members of the public- at St Mary’s Church in Eaton Bray.
Special thanks for a very enjoyable project go to Mrs Hounslow, Mrs Aldridge and support staff at Eaton Bray Lower School, and to St. Mary’s Church and Sally Taylor for local support and promotion of the performance. And of course to Masquerade for their sparkling delivery and friendly presentation of a very fitting choice of music. Mark Chivers’ stage and screen classics arrangements were especially enjoyable, with opportunities for audience participation too.
This is what the children said they liked:
“All of it was brilliant”
“I liked the music because it was a variety”
“When we did the drums in Twentieth Century Fox”
“You were really good and funny. Come again one day!”
And what they didn’t like:
“They didn’t stay long enough.”
Pupils’ responses to our workshop questionnaire:
86% thought the workshop was ‘very good’, 9% thought it was ‘good’, 5% thought it was ‘okay’
82% now wanted to find out more about music and musicians
100% of respondents said the OOTS musicians were friendly
After the school workshop:
82% said they wanted to go to the local public performance by Masquerade
91% said they had learned something new
What the school said:
“I thought the workshop was superb. I would recommend it to other schools.”
“The close relationship developed between the adults and children in such a short time was very impressive. Thank you!”
“The children were keen to borrow books on music from the library and were more aware of instrument names.”
“Violin lessons have been available for many years at the school. This workshop can only have helped and encouraged the children.”
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