One of Britten's most enduring pieces is The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, founded on a theme by Henry Purcell, and originally written as a broadcast educational work, with narration. Nowadays it's most often performed without narration. If words are used it is rarely the original dry-as-a-bone text.As part of my Guest Directorship of the Cheltenham Music Festival this year, I've been invited to rethink the Young Person's Guide for a concert with Chetham's Symphony Orchestra, who will be coming from the celebrated Chetham's Music School in Manchester.
As with my other family concerts, this will be illustrated in some way... I'm still developing a script that will fit the rapid twists and turns of this dazzlingly inventive music, and still give me time to draw or paint!
Meanwhile, a poster, with parts for colouring in, is being produced to advertise all the family events in Cheltenham this summer: Noye's Fludde, Stravinsky's piano version of his Firebird (with a wonderful young Russian pianist called Nikolai Ponomarev), and other treats too. Here are a couple of suggestions for the poster. I'm waiting to hear what the team in Cheltenham think!
I love the animals playing instruments very much! :D I hope they go for it :D
ReplyDeleteThanks Emma - good news, that is the one they've chosen... with a few tweaks!
DeleteHi James! It's Olivia from the Set Design course! Just thought I'd have a peek at some of your work. I'll have to look out for some of your books, I'm very intrigued :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Olivia! It's kind of you to look... although I feel very self conscious!!! See you Wednesday!
DeleteLoving all of this James, And loving that you have gone back to school. If I were a publisher I would be signing you up to do a music book. Your work seems to have so much joy in it. Brilliant.
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