April 2011 Session 4

Tutors from Wren Music Trust came to Exeter for the day on Sunday 3rd April to work with South West Music School Feeder Scheme students. The day started with some vocal warm ups and physical loosening of the body. Next came the opportunity to play on an instrument never played by the students before (and sometimes never even seen!). Instruments like squeeze-boxes and penny whistles were a popular choice and the traditional folk drums were given a good test run by our percussionists! The students learnt a simple folk tune on their ‘new’ instrument and learnt how simple and yet beautiful music can be, even when played on an instrument with no previous experience or instruction.

Later the students went back to their own instruments and learnt a piece of folk music and some of the techniques of playing folk. Some of the tunes were local to the Devon area, and others were from South Africa and Newfoundland, so the students could see how some folk tunes are adapted in other countries and how folk traditions vary but have the same feel.

At midday he students had a real treat as the Newfoundland band “A Crowd of Bold Sharemen” joined forces with the Wren tutors to play a selection of folk tunes (both the Devon and Newfoundland variations) for the students. Inspired by this, in the afternoon the students worked on their own versions of a simple ballad for the day’s final performance.