Getting a Handle on Handel
Getting a Handle on Handel is The Brook Street Band’s flagship education project, taking place over 3 years and in two contrasting primary school communities.
Handel is central to this vision, a man of contrasts, lover of town and countryside, who transcended poverty and social limitations of his age. A master of music and text, his ability to convey emotion remains undiminished across the centuries.
The Brook Street Band is providing intensive workshops for 90 children per school year. All sessions include live music making, and use Handel’s life and music to focus on a wide range of curriculum areas (e.g. art and design, history, technology, text writing). The increased musical knowledge and skills of the children provides the necessary platform to launch a community piece inspired by Handel’s “L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato”. This new community work by renowned composer Matthew King, with a libretto by Alasdair Middleton (incorporating children’s texts) will feature the instrumental players of The Brook Street Band, vocal soloists, children’s voices, instrumentalists and adult community choirs. It will receive its World Premiere at the Hoffman Building, Snape Maltings, on 10 July 2015.
The Brook Street Band gratefully acknowledges support from PRS for Music Foundation towards this commission.
The 3 year project has received funding from Arts Council England, Ernest Cook Trust, Bowerman Charitable Trust, Chivers Trust, Atkin Foundation, and many generous private donors.
Halleluja for Handel
An Arts-Council funded residency in 3 Frome schools over 6 weeks learning about Handel and his music in anticipation of his 250th commemorative year in 2009. This included choral singing and instrumental composition.
Too Hot to Handel
A project for Wigmore Hall and Handel House Museum working with 3 schools over 6 weeks, helping students create and perform their own compositions in response to Handel’s English Cantatas.
Please contact The Brook Street Band for further information and to discuss your individual requirements.