Thirteen for ’13 – Part 2

Continuing the introduction to our Summer Festival 2013 programme, with bring you the second half of Thirteen for ’13. Find what the rest of the Spitalfields Music team is eagerly anticipating in this June!

Aldeburgh

Phil, Development Administrator
It’s a near impossible task, but I have to pick Illuminating Britten as the concert I’m looking forward to the most. Featuring the fantastic Birmingham Contemporary Music Group performing a selection of Britten’s early works, it promises to be an evening of truly inspiring music – showing the genius of this composer that was already evident at a remarkably young age.

Benjamin Britten has long been a favourite composer of mine, and I’m so glad that Spitalfields Music will be able to play a part in celebrating his centenary. With the major celebrations taking place in Aldeburgh at almost exactly the same time, I’m sure this concert will be enough to satisfy the Britten fans who decide to stay in London. Fortunately for me, the concert also features music by another of my favourite composers, Aaron Copland, alongside works by Henze and Oliver Knussen.

Don’t miss the chance to hear this fantastic ensemble perform some beautiful works in the intimate setting of Shoreditch Church.

Illuminating Britten
Thursday 13 June, 7.30pm – 9.15pm

At Idea Store Whitechapel. Image: James Berry

Uju Maduforo, Finance Manager
I’m not a huge classical or contemporary music fan, not because I don’t enjoy it when I hear it, but because I just don’t know enough about it, or grew up listening to that type of music.  A slightly odd confession from someone who works for Spitalfields Music.  Anyway, I’m looking forward to this Summer’s Festival for two reasons.

1. I’m always pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoy the different events and,

2. It’s such fun doing something you wouldn’t normally do as part of your day-to-day activities.

I’m looking forward to The Great Enormo because of its location.  How uniquely quaint – an orchestra in a library.  I don’t even what the theme tune for Mr Enormo Biggins’ Great Fun Park sounds like (should I?), but it doesn’t matter because I’m sure anyone attending Idea Store that day either to hear the orchestra or to read, will leave with a smile and pleasant memories.  And it’s something children can enjoy too.  I loved Musical Rumpus at the Winter Festival not just because of the music but for the looks of awe, excitement and wonder on the children’s faces (even the babies looked pleasantly puzzled).

Have you ever felt pleasantly surprised when you tried something new and discovered how much you enjoyed it?  I feel that way anytime I go to a Spitalfields Music festival event.  There’s always something for everyone, and the mixture of settings, sounds, ages, faces – beautiful.  Who knows I just might try my hand at conducting.  Now that would be an interesting sight.

The Great Enormo
Saturday 15 June, 2.00 – 3.00pm

Early Opera Company director Christian Curnyn. Image: Alys Tomlinson

Camille, Development Manager
Just over two years ago I discovered Monteverdi’s music at Spitalfields Music Winter Festival 2010, and I was delighted to learn that Monteverdi’s work would be programmed again this summer, conducted by Christian Curnyn. On top of that, being quite a ballet and dance fan, I am very excited that the performance will include new dance work. And if that wasn’t enough, the choreographer in charge is Tony Adigun – who I recently discovered at The Place, when I attended a performance by his Avant Garde Dance Company. I was struck by the physical strength, intensity and commitment of the dancers, and the unusual mix of music and moves.

So to sum it up: Monteverdi, new dance, Christian’s early music versus Tony’s contemporary dance, in a converted warehouse, in East London – talk about an intriguing concept!

Early Opera Company: Monteverdi Ballets
Monday 17 June, 6.30pm – 7.30pm & 8.30pm – 9.30pm

Women Sing East. Image: James Berry

Kathryn, Programme Manager: Learning & Participation
The first thing I did when looking through this year’s Summer Festival brochure was to write the Women Sing East concert date into my diary!  There’s always something very special about the Women Sing East concerts; whether they’re singing Vivaldi, Scritti Politti or Freddy Mercury, I always get the tingle down the spine, my lips form an instant smile and I feel so much more positive about life!

Women sing East is our all-female group with singers from all walks of life who come together every Wednesday evening simply because they love to sing.  It is a proven fact that the act of singing releases endorphins, reducing stress and making you feel energised.  Even if you’re not singing with Women Sing East, simply listening to them can have that same effect – it’s infectious!

Following on from their mesmerising performance in our most recent Winter Festival of Vivaldi’s Gloria I’m thoroughly looking forward to hearing them again in our Summer Festival.  Some people might be asking how can they top the Vivaldi? You’ll be amazed at how well this group can rise to a challenge – I can’t wait!

Women Sing East
Wednesday 19 June, 7.30 – 8.30pm

Musical Rumpus. Image: James Berry

Laura, Programme Officer: Learning & Participation
In a general sense, the excitement of our Summer Festival 2013 comes from its newness. Having experienced my first Winter Festival only a short while ago, I am looking forward to exploring what the warm weather and uplifting sunshine mood brings to a fantastic Spitalfields Music Festival.

Delving into the programme, Summer 2013 for me is the takeover of Monteverdi.  For a more matured ear, we have the cross arts celebration of Monteverdi Ballets. Combining the talents of the Early Opera Company and Avant Garde Dance, Monteverdi will be revealed in a new light.  For the more delicate ears, we have Musical Rumpus: Movers & Shakers which follows on from the massive success of Musical Rumpus: A Fairy Queen in the Forest which we toured in Barking & Dagenham and Newham last year. Monteverdi will be re-imagined into another interactive and captivating piece for 0-2 year olds. Working once again with the experiences of the Early Opera Company and East London Dance, the same magnificent minds will cultivate this piece, the only difference being that the audience members will be less than half the size!

As always I am looking forward to reaching new audiences, bringing new insight into the area of cross cultural and cross arts work, and of course, indulging in sunshine and ice-cream!

Musical Rumpus: Movers & Shakers
Thursday 20 June, 10.30am – 11.30am & 12.00pm – 1.00pm

Scanner. Image: Alys Tomlinson

James, Programme Manager: Festivals 
This is my first summer festival working on producing events for Spitalfields Music and I’m continually inspired by how rich and diverse the programme is to the extent that it is incredibly hard to single out any one event or aspect of the festival as one I’m most looking forward to; they all promise to be stupendous!

What I find most attractive about Spitalfields as a place is how the old and new seem to coexist seamlessly; one minute you’re walking past the former home of a Huguenot silk-weaver, the next you’re crossing the ruins of a 13th century crypt whilst gazing up at the wall of glass which is the Heron Tower. So, for me, what I’m most looking forward to is Gazelle Twin’s Flow Forms, which forms part of our Associate Artist series with Scanner and promises to celebrate this unique and diverse history.  It’s a wonderfully fresh project, inspired by John Dowland’s flow my tears where we’ll be taking a trip underground to visit some very unusual, unique and rarely seen spaces in Spitalfields.  I grow to love every element of this project more and more as it develops and how it is set to transverse such a variety of genres, periods and art-forms.

Scanner: Flow Forms
Friday 21 June, 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Saturday 22 June, 3.30pm – 5.30pm & 6.30pm – 8.30pm

You can explore our full Summer Festival programme on our website. With general booking now being open, we look forward to hearing your own top picks!

Spitalfields Music Summer Festival
7 – 22 June 2013
Booking opens Monday 4 February, 10.00am
spitalfieldsmusic.org.uk | 020 7377 1362

On the fifth day of the Winter Festival…

Spitalfields Music sent to me… a collection of pictures from our recent Musical Rumpus tour to Barking & Dagenham and Newham, featuring at least five gold egg shakers.

Toddling around the East End

In a change to my traditional morning commute, on Wednesday last week I found myself heading deep into London’s East End to visit the Altmore Children’s Centre in Newham for the penultimate performance of our Musical Rumpus: A Fairy Queen in the Forest tour. As a member of the Development team, it is both inspiring and rewarding to see the outcomes of projects we fundraise for. In Musical Rumpus, babies, toddlers and their parents enter an immersive music-theatre experience – a re-imagining of Henry Purcell’s The Fairy Queen creating a multi-sensory world of music, sights, sounds and textures for 0-3-year-olds to explore.

Musical Rumpus on tour.
Image: Laura Fensom.

As the performance got underway, I was intrigued by how engaged both the children and their parents were. A toddler who had been crying as she arrived at the centre was now sporting an expression of curiosity and delight, while a number of the children were on their feet, exploring the performance space and interacting with the singers. Others remained on the perimeter, happy to experience the performance in the laps of their parents – many of whom seemed equally enthralled and generally delighted to be sharing the experience so closely with their child.

I was proud to be part of an organisation that had brought live classical music and opera to over 350 children and as many adults over the course of the Musical Rumpus tour. For many it was their first experience of classical music and opera, and from a fundraising point of view it made me even more determined to reach our target so that our next tour can go ahead in 2013. To make this happen, we are taking part in The Big Give Christmas Challenge – a 3-day online fundraising campaign, kicking off this Thursday. Every penny will help, so if you are able to, please support our campaign to bring another magical experience to 350 more babies and toddlers. You can find out more about the project and how your donation could be doubled on our website.

To donate to our Big Give Christmas Challenge visit The Big Give website at 10.00am on Thursday 6^th, Friday 7^th and Saturday 8^th December. Take a look at our Musical Rumpus tour video.

In video: Musical Rumpus Tour

With the last of the golden egg shakers back in its box and the magical forest all folded up, the Musical Rumpus tour of A Fairy Queen in the Forest to Barking & Dagenham and Newham has come to an end. But worry not, the tour was the start of a three-year programme of musical experiences for babies and toddlers and we will be returning in July with a brand new work.

You can help bring these musical experiences to 750 families by donating through The Big Give Christmas Challenge. Between Thursday 6 and Saturday 8 December 2012, donate via The Big Give website and The Big Give will aim to match your donation pound for pound.

Click play below to find out more about the project so far.

The arts – a marginal activity? Not in our experience.

I began yesterday with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme as I got ready for the day ahead (along with 7 million others). At 8.00am a piece on the arts was promised in the coming hour – I noticed this particularly because it’s the field I’m involved in on a daily basis and because I feel strongly about the importance of the arts and their value both in our collective lives and for us individually. When it came along at 8.20am the feature painted a picture which is quite different from my day-to-day experience and indeed from my sense of what’s going on generally in this field. It noted elitism, particularly in opera and ballet, and questioned whether subsidy of the arts serves the population as a whole. The suggestion was that the arts primarily serve a small privileged section of the population and reaching out to new audiences and participants is marginal and to no great effect.

Two hours later I was in Dagenham at Valence Library being greeted by the extremely cheery and helpful library staff along with around 100 parents and toddlers. We were there for a performance of Henry Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, as adapted for 0–3-year-olds and their parents. The performance was part of a 12-venue tour across Barking & Dagenham and Newham in libraries, children’s and community centres. The library had been transformed into a forest and six musicians, including two from the Orchestra of the Age Enlightenment’s young musicians’ programme and two from The Sixteen’s young singers’ programme, gave us a magical 45 minute show about fairies, trees, love and adventure. It was utterly enchanting and of the highest quality. 100 people – all of whom (I think) would be classed by the Today programme’s report as ‘not attending’ – had encountered Henry Purcell for the first time as performed by some of the UK’s most promising young musicians.

Musical Rumpus: A Fairy Queen in the Forest on tour in Barking & Dagenham.
Image: Laura Fensom.

Reaching an audience like this doesn’t just happen, but at the same time there’s nothing mystical about it.  The event was free, it was on their doorstep and it was in a trusted location. We told people about it and made it really easy to get a ticket and know what to expect.

My experience in Dagenham made me recall the Today piece and think about why it had got things so utterly wrong. The Fairy Queen project is not a one-off for Spitalfields Music – it’s just one of a whole range of things we do all of which are about offering music to as many people as possible in East London. And I know we are not alone in our outlook and indeed in our success at reaching new audiences on a daily basis. Quite the contrary.

Musical Rumpus: A Fairy Queen in the Forest at Rich Mix during
Spitalfields Music Summer Festival 2012.
Image: James Berry.

So why did the radio piece get things wrong? It’s probably easy to reach for some stereotypes and I suppose things going wrong is much more a story than things going right. And of course, the truth is that there is so much more which could be done.  The arts sector is tiny in relation to its potential – there will always be more to do, simply because the scale of the potential is vast. And there will always be examples of bad practice. But if asked to characterise the sector I work in, I’d say that effort to spend subsidy wisely and to the benefit of as many people as possible is everywhere. It’s certainly not a marginal activity. I’m pretty certain that the roughly 500 people in Barking & Dagenham who saw The Fairy Queen this week would not think so.

And at the end of the day it’s their view that I’m interested in.

Abigail Pogson
Chief Executive