A musical journey across the globe
The score, composed by Bournemouth resident and Music Hub partner, Stefan Defilet, was specially commissioned as the centrepiece event for the anniversary. Drawing on the Jules Verne novel as inspiration the message is one of hope communicated through the international language of music and the friendships it can create.
Arranged for instrumentalists of all abilities the score, centred around a recurring musical motif, transports the players and the audience on an epic musical journey embarking from the British Isles, and featuring ‘stopovers’ in Spain, the Balkans, Senegal, Israel, China and India, before arriving at its final destination in Latin America to bring the show to a carnival-style finale.
During the creative process Stefan undertook to consult with, and work alongside musicians either from or familiar with the musical traditions of the areas visited. The score shifts in emphasis and dynamics across the 8 movements, from Celtic jigs and Klezmer rhythms to the Balearic pulse of Spain, communicating musical moods that shift seamlessly from the reflective to the triumphant as the journey concludes.
Each movement lasts around 9 minutes totalling a show time of approximately 85 mins, performed in two parts with a 30-minute interval. The performance was conducted by Lee Marchant and featured members of the Westbourne Orchestra.
The orchestra was joined on stage by guest musicians, some of whom worked with the composer to develop the score. They included Ricky Romain and Udit Pankhania who performed a tabla and sitar duet, Josh Doughty on the kora with Cheikh Diop on djembes accompanied by Pape, Royal College undergraduate Lon Fon on the enchanting gaohu, and local musicians Mike Potts taking principal trumpet, and John Edwards on classical guitar.
Recruiting to the Orchestra
On the evening of July 12th the BIC hosted the largest youth orchestra to have played in the area for many years. Recruited from schools across BCP and also featuring members of the Dorset Youth Symphony and Coda Fiddle Orchestra’s, it was a triumphant return to large-scale performance after 2 years of restrictions (and a few frustrations!)
Our thanks to the staff and chaperone’s from Parkstone and Poole Grammar, Highcliffe School, Avonbourne Academies, Longfleet Primary, St. Mary’s Primary, St. Katherine’s Primary, Poole High School, Queen Elizabeth’s, St. Edwards and every student that helped make the day go smoothly and the evening so successful!
Around the World…via Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole
The Infant member school programme, led by Hub practitioners Cathy Murray, Sandie Elkins, Abi Thommes, Lou Wilson and Kevin Morgan, this year took inspiration from the Around the World score, offering each school the chance to create and improvise songs. Their musical journey began last autumn with a unique cross-arts input, Scary Bones and the Pirates of Brownsea Island. Each school then developed its own unique journey in partnership with the resident musician, in preparation for the final performance during the summer term…click on the video below to see some of the highlights!
Around the World Infant School Tour
The Infant School Tour visited 11 schools during the summer, taking over 2000 of the conurbation’s youngest students on a bespoke musical journey and featuring a trio performing selected excerpts from the original Around the World score. Led by the composer Stefan, accompanied by Becca Defilet on piano and Hannah Gobbett on clarinet, the trio reduction was commissioned with the simple ambition of sharing some of the musical joy from the showcase performance on the 12th of July, with those too young to perform!
Bringing the score to life
SoundStorm commissioned local designer and musician Andrea Todd to develop an identity and logo for the event that would capture the musical diversity, colours and sounds of the locations we visit and importantly, would convey a message of how we all might choose to travel in the future, as we all commit to addressing the climate crisis. For the live event, we were also honoured to work with artist and animator claRa apaRicio yoldi who brought Andrea’s work to life.
The striking designs were extended to our Education pack, issued to the Infant member schools as they began their journey last autumn; this engaging learning resource was co-developed by Arts2Educate’s Abi Thommes and the Music Hub and has been used across the region to engage our youngest students in their own journey.
