CBSO Trips Inspire KSA Musicians

Year Four Trip to Symphony Hall

There was great excitement in the Year Four classrooms on Monday morning as staff and pupils prepared to travel to Birmingham on their trip to Symphony Hall. For all the children, this was their first opportunity to hear a major symphony orchestra perform live in a world class concert hall, and what better way to start than with the CBSO, who have just returned from a concert tour of North America. We are incredibly fortunate to have the world-famous City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra based almost on our doorstep.

The vast space that is Symphony Hall impressed the children straight away, as they marvelled at the number of seats, huge speakers and impressive array of organ pipes. They were intrigued to find out a little about how the acoustics work in the Hall to make this such a special performance-space for musicians and audience alike.

The theme of the concert was This World, and it explored the beauty of our planet and the impact that humans can have on it, all illustrated in music. The children were taken on a journey around the world and into their own imagination by a wide range of pieces, introduced by the dynamic compère, Dan as they embraced the “X-men power of the Orchestra to take you anywhere: even to places that don’t exist!”

Their jaws dropped when the large orchestra started to play the first piece: Coalescence, by the young composer, Dani Howard. They were held spellbound by Gabriella Smith’s Field Guide for Orchestra, which included sounds from the rainforest, created by playing instruments in new and unusual ways. Alan Sivestri’s Portals (from Avengers: Endgame) made everyone very excited, and this piece was a firm favourite with many of the group. The finale from Symphony No.1 by Brahams finished the programme in style.

Year Three Trip to Symphony Hall

Staff and pupils alike were very excited on Tuesday morning as they packed their bags in readiness for their trip to Symphony Hall in Birmingham. The experience of hearing a major symphony orchestra perform live is like nothing else, and for many of the children, this was their first opportunity to hear a full professional orchestra playing live; it was an experience they will never forget.

Anyone who thought you have to be dead to be a composer had a surprise straightaway, as we enjoyed the first piece, written by modern British composer Anna Clyde. Her piece Masquerade, with its lively, bustling atmosphere, got the concert off to an exciting start.

Throughout the concert, we were treated to a wide variety of music from across the ages. Pieces ranging from Gabrielli (1557-1612) Sonata XIII to Ari Pulkkinen (b.1982) Angry Birds, composed for a mobile phone game gave us a real sense of how music has developed over hundreds of years.

A big favourite was Harry’s Wondrous World (from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) by John Williams (b.1932) and Soul Bossa Nova by Quincy Jones (b.1933) had everyone up and dancing, with its toe-tapping Latin American rhythms, lively percussion and wildly exciting brass playing.

These were both special concerts, and all the children loved the excitement and variety of music. Many of them learn instruments (some are already playing in KSA Orchestra and String Group) and this experience was genuinely inspirational. As the compère said, every adult in the orchestra started their musical journey taking lessons at school and playing in school orchestras and bands. Who knows, perhaps in a few years’ time the stage at Symphony Hall will be home to a few ex-KSA musicians?