Marvels Lane Had Funharmonics ...
Early in 2004, 16 children
from Marvels Lane School and their families travelled to the Royal
Festival Hall for the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Funharmonics
Concert.
When they arrived there were
plenty of activities set up in the foyer and the children had the
opportunity to try playing the saxophone, clarinet and flute. Some
had their faces painted, while others spent their time practising
circus skills - on the tightrope, balancing balls, unicycles, diabolo,
balancing plates and juggling.
After an hour everyone made
their way into the main hall for the concert, introduced by TV presenter
Chris Jarvis. Not only did the children have the opportunity to
see and hear a real orchestra, but every part of the concert was
child friendly and as visual and interactive as possible.
The story of the Firebird
was explained and the children joined in to cheer and boo, pantomime
style, when the good and bad characters were mentioned. The music
was played in short sections and the children had to listen out
for specific themes being played. Some sections were accompanied
by dancers and coloured lights.
The favourite part of the
concert was the James Bond section. The children took part in singing
a new song, ‘Nobody knows my name’ about the ‘unsung’
stunt man in James Bond films. They also listened to Bond themes
and joined in the singing as part of the final piece.
After the performance it was
back to the foyer for more fun activities, before returning home,
exhausted after a wonderful day of experiencing and enjoying live
music. It was a fantastic opportunity for children of all ages and
a great deal of fun was had by all.
