Case Study: Where The Wild Thing Are
“The interpretation of the story was wonderful, each section of the assembled instruments and voices evoking every scene told by the excellent narrator. What a stunning collection of young talent. All the performers quite clearly enjoying taking part. Your control and direction was just brilliant, each player and singer responding to your every movement. I can only hope that there will be a repeat performance sometime. Such a sensational achievement should be witnessed by many more people.”
Christine – Audience member
“Thanks again, so much for last nights brilliant performance and the hard work and planning that preceded it. Our students had so much fun at the workshops and the performance that they hardly realised that they were learning so much! It’s been a fabulous opportunity for them to work with such outstanding musicians and I know that they were very inspired to work hard at progressing in their performing and composing and that this will leave lasting positive impressions.”
Mrs MacTaggart, Head of Music, Oathall Community College
Ensemble Reza were approached by the Lindfield Arts Festival to design a music project based on the story ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ by Maurice Sendak.
The project had to reflect the festival themes of imagination, fantasy and fairytales, working with local schools and the community.
Participants:
Workshop Leaders Pavlos Carvalho
Ensemble Reza Musicians
Year 10 and 11 students from Oathall Community College
Festival-goers (aged 4-50+)
Over 35 people took part in the workshops.
The Project:
Wild Things is a contemporary mélange of world, rock and jazz. The piece was inspired by a range of classical composers, who were discussed and their works listened to in the first session.
The main theme of chugging chords was inspired by Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring; the Sea Voyage inspired by the opening of Bach’s Cello Suite No 1 in G Major; the loneliness motif inspired by the opening of Borodin’s String Quartet in D (3rd movement) and a party theme (see clip above) of Latin funk brass music based on the opening violin melody and dance feel of the 4th movement from Schubert’s string quintet in C major.