A lovely picture from David in our audience last Tuesday at Cherry Orchard Centre…
…celebrating the music in our concert for flute, clarinet, trumpet and ‘cello.
Everyone Matters is mounting a four-day project this July in memory of John Morris who worked tirelessly over many years as a volunteer administrator for the Croydon Festival of Performing Arts. The project “Conversation Pieces – Words and Music uniting the Generations” was chosen in discussion with John’s family and friends to celebrate music’s power to bring people together regardless of age or circumstance.
Our first two days took place on 4 and 5 July when 18 year-old flautist Daniel Jacob-Ormson and 17 year-old trumpeter Nick Smith, both Festival prize-winners, rehearsed and performed alongside clarinettist Margaret Archibald and ‘cellist Julia Desbruslais in concerts of Baroque, Classical and traditional music. We started our day with a full morning of rehearsal in the Chapel at Whitgift House, working up a programme of Baroque concerto and trio sonata movements by Caldara, Corelli and Reinhart, a “London” Trio by Haydn, a Church Sonata by Mozart, our own arrangement of the famous Tambourin by Gossec, and traditional tunes including the “Pugwash” hornpipe, the glorious “Danny Boy” appropriately played by Dan on the flute, and the Keel Row briefly featuring the piccolo.
Our first concert on the Monday was at the South Croydon Centre, where we offered post-luncheon entertainment to some 20 older people for whom the Centre provides support, company and hot meals. After a good chat over cups of tea all round, we popped back across the road to give our second concert in the newly refurbished and extended Community Room at Whitgift House; it was good to see so many friends from previous visits to this continuing care community in our audience, including a number who also attend our Tuesday night Music Matters lecture-recitals in Whitgift House Chapel, and a former trombonist who especially enjoyed meeting fellow brass player Nick:
Tuesday morning began with a short top-up rehearsal followed by our concert at Cherry Orchard Centre that provides day opportunities for adults with learning disabilities. The 50-strong audience ranged from people in their 20’s to others in their 80’s, a lovely reflection of the project’s primary aim to bring the generations together in a shared enjoyment of music. Finally we were off to Wilhelmina House, playing in their new lounge where thankfully we started our afternoon performance just as the bulldozers outside ceased work for the day!
We asked our young colleagues what they most enjoyed about the project; for Nick it was”playing with an ensemble of such a high standard” and for Dan “the response, it was a nice surprise to see how much the audience enjoyed it”.
