Here comes Katie... again!

Although not officially published until August 2nd, the latest Katie book is already appearing in shops! Katie and the Starry Night is a story based around five paintings by Van Gogh, and here are a couple of sample pages... and a pile of copies which arrived in the post the other day.

The book will be celebrated with a special event at the Edinburgh Book Festival on August 14th, at 10.30. I can't say for sure who the guest of honour will be... but rumour has it, he only has one ear!

So come along and join in the fun... For full details and to book visit:

http://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/james-mayhew

Scheherazade reviewed...

I don't usually like to post reviews and toot my own trumpet, but a lovely review from the BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE website (no less) has turned up, of the Scheherazade performance last week in Cheltenham. This, I confess, does make me happy - for the orchestra, for the children, and above all for Rimsky-Korsakov! (and yes, a tiny bit for me too...)

I don't know where all this will lead if anywhere. I have books to write and illustrate! But when you work so hard on something, that you truly believe in, it IS satisfying to be truly appreciated!                                                                                                                                                         
COLOURFUL TALES FROM CHELTENHAM

Jeremy Pound enjoys the sights and sounds of a unique Sheherazade

Have you ever tried to get a four-year-old boy to sit still for more than five minutes? Let’s put it this way: herding cats, squeezing blood out of a stone and threading camels through the eye of a needle are a doddle in comparison.

Imagine, then, my dismay when my own four year-old, James, announced that he’d like to go to a concert. And, what’s more, a concert lasting more than an hour. Most parents at this point would have shuddered and replied with a firm ‘no’. I, on the other hand, as a classical music journalist, could hardly go nipping my own son’s nascent enthusiasm in the bud. So, off to the ticket desk we trooped. Two seats, please, end of the row and near to the door – at least that way our inevitable early exit would disrupt as few people as possible.

The concert in question was a performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sheherazade at the Cheltenham Music Festival on Saturday. But not just any performance. Accompanying each of the four movements were visual illustrations of what was going on in the score, painted as the music unfolded by artist James Mayhew from the front of the stage, and projected onto a big screen behind the orchestra.

Mayhew himself, dressed in fetching Oriental gear, would also tell the tale depicted in each movement before grabbing his brushes and setting to work – it was seeing and hearing this, as we popped our heads round the Town Hall door during the rehearsal beforehand, that convinced Pound Jnr that he simply had to go to the concert itself.






















And, I must say, he made a good choice. Top lad. Mention must be made of some fine playing from the Orchestra of the Music-Makers, a superbly drilled amateur orchestra from Singapore, making their first ever visit to Europe. While one or two frayed edges appeared in the previous night’s performance of Ravel’s Piano Concerto, here their playing showed both confidence and no little elegance. Let’s hope they return soon.

However, it was Mayhew’s artistry that really caught the attention. Depicting on canvas the long and winding tales told by Sheherazade to the Sultan to defer her own death sentence – Sinbad, the Kalendar Prince and the like – is complex enough. Doing so in around 15 minutes each and, get this, timing one’s brush strokes to match various moments in the music? Now that is deeply impressive. (The two pictures above are both from the Cheltenham concert).

There are plans afoot to take this project further afield, possibly even over to Singapore itself. If so, I recommend it. For us old lags who have heard Sheherazade so many times we start wishing that the poor girl had been sent off to the chopping block before embarking on her first rambling tale, it gave Rimsky-Korsakov’s music a new dash of colour (forgive the pun). And, given the lack of fidgeting among the youngsters in the audience – and there were oodles of them – the majority of them clearly found it entertaining too.

As for my own concert-going companion? He sat agog the full hour. And that is saying something.

Jeremy Pound is deputy editor of BBC Music Magazine

From Scheherazade to Singapore...

More pictures of the event in Lichfield Cathedral have turned up, and here's a selection, taken by Clive Edwards Photography.

 

Above is a picture of Eric Watson, a British-Singaporean composer who wrote a new piece for this tour. It was premiered at the first concert in Cheltenham (for adults and which I did not paint at), and then repeated at the concert in Lichfield (where I did - but not to his music). The piece is called Intersections, referring to the huge mix of cultures and races in both Singapore and Britain, also to the rythmns of the different music, and even weather. A rain stick featured prominantly for Britain!!! It is a wonderful piece, I'd love to hear more by him.

I love the look of intense concentration on the face of this viola player ... such wonderful musicians, working together in a voluntary capacity, creating great music for the love of it. Remarkable and humbling!

And look at this orchestra - 107 players - can you wonder that I was nervous!?  But all went well, and I think you can see the relief (and happiness) on my face at the end!

The Music Makers: We are the dreamers of dreams...

Three demanding performances over three days, with long haul flights either side: This is how the Orchestra of the Music Makers travelled from Singapore for their European debut, and created a sensation. What stars they are! You may have heard about the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra; well the Orchestra of the Music Makers need fear nothing by comparison. Their playing is filled with an energy and joy that is irresistibly infectious.

Arthur O'Shaughnessy’s Ode to Music and Moonlight gave them their title: 

“We are the music makers, we are the dreamers of dreams”.

 Well it was a dream come true for me to join them for two concerts featuring Rimsky-Korsakov’s spectacular symphonic suite Scheherazade, full of moonlight and music! Stories from the Arabian Nights, of Sinbad, and Camaralzeman and magnetic rocks and genies and princesses and pomegranates. AND painting live illustrations... I was in my element!

Musically it’s hard piece, with many intricate solos. But this colossal orchestra performed it with a maturity beyond their years. Such is the exceptional level of playing from these youngsters – all 107 of them – that they sounded resplendent. And their conductor Chan Tze Law led a wonderfully warm, romantic and dazzlingly colourful account of the score, blazing with drama at one moment, beguilingly perfumed the next. It was intoxicating!

The first performance was in the magnificent Cheltenham Town Hall and felt like a huge success for all concerned. I loved every minute of it and felt so happy for my new Singaporean friends! I am hugely grateful to director Meurig Bowen (in picture with turban!) and Alexis Paterson for this opportunity and for having faith in the whole concept.

The next day took us to Lichfield cathedral - a truly awe inspiring setting (although one with logistical challenges!) for another wonderful concert (including Dukas' Sorcerer's Apprentice and a very short, very fast encore by Elgar: Wild Bears!).  My sincere thanks to director Fiona Stuart for inviting me to such an exciting venue.

At both venues the art created was raffled for Charity, books were signed and friendships made and renewed. It was an exhilarating few days, and a huge honour to work with these exceptional musicians and to see so many children coming to a classical concert!  And who knows where it will lead next? There have been a few conversations, but I can’t say any more just yet. But the torrential rain is actually a very good omen for one incredibly exciting project in development. Watch this space…

At both concerts it was lovely to see familiar friends in the audience – author Caryl Hart, and Zoe Toft, who has a simply wonderful children’s book review website called PLAYING BY THE BOOK. Zoe kindly took many of the pictures at Lichfield. Jane Churchill, Cheltenham Children’s Book Festival director took pictures in Cheltenham. My thanks to both – it’s lovely to have a memory of such an exciting event which I am sure was, for the orchestra, an historic first tour. 

Rimsky-Korsakov Raffle!

You could WIN the original illustrations for Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade this weekend! All the art created LIVE ON STAGE will be raffled for charity at the Cheltenham Music Festival concert, with the Orchestra of the Music Makers from Singapore.

This is such an exciting event, taking place in the lavish Town Hall on Saturday July 7th at 12 noon.

For a chance to win the picture, you need to come to the concert of course! And why wouldn't you? It's once in a lifetime opportunity to hear this glorious music performed live, with art and stories too. Concert tickets are just £8 - bargain of the century for an orchestra of over 100 players and me too!

The details are on the Cheltenham Music Festival website:
http://www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/find-events/music/m19-sinbad-the-sailor-and-scheherazade 

REMEMBER TO BUY YOUR RAFFLE TICKETS BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE!


The performance is repeated on Sunday at the Lichfield Music Festival. Not sure yet if they are raffling, but probably yes! Details for THAT performance (in the extraordinary cathedral) are on their website here: http://www.lichfieldfestival.org/blog/2012/04/orchestra-of-the-music-makers/

Pop Up Picture Perfect

Yesterday the Pop Up Picture Pavilion became a reality at last, at the triumphant Pop Up Festival of Stories 2012.

Vanessa Stone, Clara Vulliamy, Peter Jones and I worked with hundreds of children to make art to fill our magical gallery, build by Gabriella Malewska and Fabrizio Panella, students from Central St Martin's School of Art.

Over the two days there were Vampire theatre shows from Marcus Sedgwick, A Comics workshop spectacular from Sarah McIntyre, A Fiesta from Candy Gourlay and a Roald Dahl extravaganza from Laura Dockrill, amongst other exciting things. I missed them all as I was so busy preparing and running  the pavilion. As curator I wanted it to be perfect. And ... thanks to everyone who helped, it really was!

The whole day felt like a wonderful celebration of children's creativity. They drew and cut and scribbled and daubed and pretended to be Katie, climbing into pictures... magical!

Here are some snaps - and you can read more about this amazing event at Katie's Picture Show:


 http://jamesmayhew-katiespictureshow.blogspot.co.uk/