Thursday 18 October 2012

Colchester Music of Place 2012 Workshops




On a hot, sunny September Saturday (yes, its only weeks since t-shirt weather!), Britten Sinfonia’s Creative Learning department arrived at Colchester’s Firstsite gallery for a morning of creative music-making workshops.  Armed with a van-load of instruments, we set up camp in a lovely curved room overlooking the lawn and welcomed three groups with people of all ages as workshop leader James Redwood guided us through rhythm and group composition games.  Some participants brought their instruments; others just their enthusiasm and willingness to pick up a drum, shaker or xylophone and chime in.  We even had the mayor of Colchester join in!

Using the gallery, and the juxtaposition of old/new and rural/industrial found in the town around it as inspiration, members of the public, assisted by Britten Sinfonia musicians Ali Reid (violin), Andrew Webster (clarinet) and Adam Mackenzie (bassoon) composed short pieces and performed them to one another.  These pieces can be heard by following the links below:

Group 1
Group 2
Group 3

The Music of Place was a collaboration between Britten Sinfonia, Orchestras Live, Colchester Borough Council and Colchester Arts Centre.

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