YORK College students and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment have created a new Concerto for York with composer James Redwood.
Ouse I Am The River will be premiered by members of the London orchestra in the Watercycle community concert at the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, University of York, on December 13 at 6.30pm.
Redwood's concerto is based onJohn Wedgwood Clarke's poem Ouse, commissioned for Watercycle, a nationwide project run by the orchestra in partnership with the National Centre for Early Music in York.
Andrea Hayden, team leader for music at York College, says: “Our Music Development Centre students have enjoyed the challenge of the Watercycle project, working collaboratively on the composition of the piece and perfecting their performance skills.
"The project has enabled them to work alongside professional musicians and they have created a piece of music totally inspired by water.”
Cherry Forbes, the orchestra's education director, says: "The event is part of the NCEM’s programme of participation in our year-long Watercycle project, which brings outstanding musical opportunities for young people, reaching nine British towns and cities during the year and raising money for WaterAid.
The project is designed to both encourage young people to enjoy making music and to teach them about water; from raindrops to the seas, to the clouds and back again to rain.”
Participants in all Watercycle projects are invited to bring a 500ml water bottle containing pennies or pounds to each concert in a Bottle It scheme.
These bottles will be used as percussion and afterwards everything collected will be given to WaterAid. The funds raised will help transform lives by improving access to safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities.
Next week's Watercycle Community Concert also will feature a new digital overture, again based on Wedgwood Clarke’s poem Ouse, created and performed by Castaway Goole's Sloop Group.
The NCEM's Minster Minstrels will perform Telemann's Water Music and York’s newest community choir, The Belfrey Singers, will sing a section of their own repertoire, as well as taking part in the Concerto for York.
Audience members will be invited to take part in singing the Watercycle Song, a piece written for all Watercycle projects taking place throughout the country. To listen to the song before the concert, go to ncem.co.uk/oaecom
The Watercycle project builds on the NCEM's partnership with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, first developed through the Anthem For A Child collaboration in 2012.
Together, the partners have been working with primary and secondary school children, young people with special needs, singers and teachers across York and the East Riding since September, culminating in performances in York on December 12 and 13.
Tickets for the Watercycle Community Concert cost £10, concessions £8, students £3, on 01904 658338 or at ncem.co.uk
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