On Tuesday 5th February, the Symphony Orchestra and children’s author and illustrator, James Mayhew brought to life two Russian masterpieces as part of an outreach project for primary schools across Birmingham. Over 400 pupils and staff filled the Ruddock Performing Arts Centre with each school performing classic fairy tale stories using music and song. The schools’ individual performances were unified through a song called Fairy Tale which was conducted and composed by Keith Farr. After delivering their fairytales, the pupils were then treated to performances by the Symphony Orchestra in collaboration with James Mayhew. Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev and The Firebird by Stravinsky were both performed by the Symphony Orchestra, whilst James Mayhew narrated the stories and completed a live painting performance, captivating the children.
An exploration of Ancient Greece
From the very first day to the last, we found ourselves entirely submerged in both modern and ancient Greek culture, from participating in a couple of chaotic dances to being taught (and quizzed) on different objects we hunted for in the museums.
