Winter Festival photographs are here!

We had a fantastic time during the Winter Festival, and we hope those who attended did also. Here are a few photos of our favourite festival moments and events:

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Photograph credits: Celine Smith and  Sabine Tilly

What Makes a Great Fable?

What do you think makes a great fable? We asked a whole host of people involved in Fables – A Film Opera (composers, directors, workshop leaders and members of our team) exactly that! This is what they said…

Discover more videos on our YouTube channel!

60 Seconds With…Paul Sartin

Today we have the next installation of our feature ’60 Seconds with…’! Over  the coming weeks we will be posting quick and quirky interviews with the people behind the music at the Winter Festival. There’s no hard and fast rule with what we ask – most questions come from members of the team – though if you’d like to contribute, leave your questions in the comments section. Enjoy!

This week, we spoke to Fables – a Film Opera composer and Bellowhead member, Paul Sartin.

Lute or electric guitar?
Neither – the only decent string instruments don’t need frets.

Beer or Cider? Whiskey or Rum?
Definitely ale, or proper cider – the stuff with rats in.

What’s the naughtiest thing you did at school?
Spread a rumour that someone was pregnant, except that due to Chinese whispers it came back to haunt me when I was cited as the father.

Who’s your favourite fictional hero?
Peter Rabbit.

Where’s your favourite venue in London?
Waterloo Station – the quickest way out and back home to Hampshire.

What’s your most memorable performance as a performer?
Being an extra on Dick and Dom In Da Bungalow (kids’ TV programme), as a guest at the wedding between Timmy Mallett and Mr Blobby.

What one thing would you most like to tell your audiences?
To buy more of my CDs.

What’s the best thing about being involved in Fables?
I love the whole thing – the singers, the staff, the enthusiasm and creativity! It’s such an exciting project, and I feel honoured to be part of it.

Fables – A Film Opera is being premiered on Friday 17 December at Shoreditch Church (St Leonard’s) . For more information please visit www.spitalfieldsmusic.org.uk

Interview with Abigail Pogson

We caught up with our Executive Director, Abigail, at the launch party for ‘Fables – A Film Opera’, our collaboration with Streetwise Opera. Here she is telling us all about  Fables, the Winter Festival 2010 and our ongoing project, Opera in Pieces.

For more interviews & video clips check out our YouTube channel!

Intern Diaries: Week Nine

So since I last wrote for the intern diaries, at lot has been going on in the Spitalfields Music office. If you’ve read my previous post (if not, you should!) you’ll know that we officially launched Fables – A Film Opera almost a fortnight ago. Not only was this a superb introduction into the project, but it seems to have cemented my role as unofficial Spitalfields Music Cameraman (as if being an intern wasn’t already enough!). Joking aside, it was fantastic to gain a first-hand insight into aspects of the project by talking to a whole host of people involved.

Journalistic skills now finely honed, the other task I’d set myself for the past month was to get completely accustomed to all the software we use on the Communications team. Now competent on Photoshop, the website programme, and Twitter (hurrah!), I had only the clunky box office system to get my head round. Extra pressure came here from the fact that Rebecca was soon to go on holiday leaving me nearer the box office firing line than I am normally! Fortunately, I managed to feel my way into its quirks and have even sold tickets!

Another thing I’ve been getting to know is the relatively new Student Ambassadors scheme. The scheme invites students to volunteer around 3-4 hours of their time per month to promote Spitalfields Music, and in return they get free tickets to festival concerts and other perks. Sounds good to me. With Rebecca away, I sat in for a couple of the interviews, one of which turned out to be with someone I knew from university!

That pretty much brings us up to today. I’ve just come back to the office after attending a photo shoot with one of our artists for next summer. I’m afraid I can’t tell you who they are – you’ll have to wait and see!

Click here for more information on the Student Ambassador scheme.

Michael Duffy
Marketing & Communications Intern