Showcase

Young Artists Performance Series

19th Feb 2010

Toby Hodder (14), Harry Smith (17) and Tobie Tripp (17) put on a lunch time recital at The Pound Arts Centre in Corsham on Wednesday 17^th February. Playing cello, saxophone and violin respectively the boys played to a packed and very appreciative audience. The music ranged from Haydn to Martinů and Bartŏk to Phil Woods. The audience were spellbound by the three young performers and the praise at the end was not unjustified.

Tobie Tripp and Harry Smith will be graduating from South West Music School at the end of this academic year to study music at further education and, based on this performance, it won’t be long before we see them on the big stage. Toby Hodder, 4 years younger than Harry and Tobie, is hot on their heels and one to watch when he leaves for bigger and better things!

To listen to Harry Smith click here

To listen to Tobie Tripp click here

To listen to Toby Hodder click here

Dalcroze delights Feeder students

19th Feb 2010

The students on the SWMS Feeder Scheme had their third workshop day on Monday 15^th February, tying in with the end of the core residential. The students began the day with a talk from Paul Denegri about performance practise and presentation and then moved on to a Dalcorze session with Jacqueline Vann. Dalcroze is the study of music and movement and looks at how playing your instrument involves the entire body and not just the parts touching the instrument. The students did fun games such as rolling a ball over a certain number of beats and beating bottles in time to the music. Although a little awkward to begin with, the students really entered into the spirit of the day and learnt a lot from it. They were then given the opportunity to watch the final performance of the students on the main residential.

Music, Film and Dance Residential

19th Feb 2010

The 2010 February half term brought together 41 students from South West Music School and 8 dancers from Swindon Youth Dance Academy to work on putting new music and dance to archive film footage from the Dartington Archives.

The South West Music School students were split into 2 groups, new students for 2009 were in one group and continuing students were in the second along with the dancers. The first group were then split into four groups and given an animated film and an archive film to work on over the weekend. They would be looking at composing music for film to fit with their animated piece and then would put together an improvisation to accompany the archive film.

The musicians and dancers group were working to an archive film of ‘Danse Macabre’ first produced at the Barn Theatre, Dartington Hall in 1935 by students of the Joss Leeder School of Dance. 75 years later these students performed an interpretation of the work again on the Barn Theatre stage. The musicians created a music score using the film and influences from the original music by Saint-Saëns and the dancers choreographed a dance with influences from the original choreography. This was then put together and performed on the barn theatre stage with the archive film playing on a screen behind the dancers.

The residential also brought the South West Music School students together to hear Miguel Mera talk about the music of the film ‘Spellbound’ along with the history of the composer and the unusual instruments that he used and then we watched the film. The students were also given an opportunity to perform to each other in an open mic session on Sunday evening which was very well received by all.

A very successful residential with two packed out audiences at the final performances on the Monday.

Trumpet Day Heralds start of 2010

21st Jan 2010

January 16^th saw the first of South West Music School’s instrumental workshops for 2010. Paul Denegri (Head of Brass at Wells Cathedral School) held an intensive day for 4 SWMS trumpeters looking at trumpet techniques and repertoire and how to do productive practise and warm ups even when time is limited.

Despite battles with football traffic and one-way systems all the students had a great day and went away with their heads filled with knowledge and a new found enthusiasm for the trumpet.

Young Artists Performance Series

20th Jan 2010

On 11^th October new recruits Indigo Hicks (cello) and Henry Tozer (piano) joined long standing student Ben Comeau (piano - pictured left) to perform in the Great Hall at Dartington as part of the Young Artists Performance Series. Each student performed a 20minute set to a packed audience. The music ranged from Bach to Beethoven and Ravel to more contemporary composers such as Joseph Kosma.

Indigo Hicks (16) (Cello) said: The Great Hall is an amazing venue in which to perform, with an acoustic which makes the music, especially Bach, sound beautiful. I received a lot of positive feedback from the audience, and it was a privilege to play alongside two amazing SWMS student pianists with whom I shared the concert.

To listen to Henry play 'Brahms Rhapsody in G minor' click here

This was followed by a second performance in November by some of our percussion students; Kizzy Brooks, Molly Lopresti-Richards and Harriet Riley and they were joined by the percussion group from KEVICC in Totnes. The performers played on a range of instruments from Marimba and Xylophone to Snare Drum and Timpani. This again was a huge success and gave the performers a good experience of playing a professional gig.

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