Concerts for families at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall
Sunday 16 February 2014 12.00–1.00pm Presented by the London Philharmonic Orchestra in association with Southbank Centre.
lpo.org.uk
Celeste
Piano
r
st
Fi
violin d n o c Se
Flutes
Conductor
s
Horns
Violas
Oboes
Bassoons
Timpani
A Map of the Orchestra
Clarinets
Percussion
Harp
s
vi
ol in
llo s
Ce
Tuba
Double basses
Trum pets
Trom bone s
Today’s concert, Yikes! Spikes!, is the first in a series of three family concerts inspired by Roald Dahl’s gloriously imaginative and absurd Dirty Beasts poems, set to music by Benjamin Wallfisch. Each poem deals with unsuspecting animals and their relationships to humans, often in dark and grisly ways! These Dirty Beasts pieces have been specially commissioned by the London Philharmonic Orchestra to record and perform. We hope you enjoy listening to them as much as we’ve enjoyed playing them!
Gioachino Rossini was an Italian composer who wrote 39 operas including William Tell, which is one of his best-known. William was a famous archer and was also a leader in the Swiss uprising against their Austrian oppressors. In the opera, the cruel Governor tests William by ordering him to shoot an arrow into an apple balanced on his son’s head. William is a crack shot, little Jemmy survives and eventually Switzerland wins its freedom. The Galop is from the overture to the opera – which is a sort of introduction that sets the scene before all the singing begins. Here Rossini paints a picture of the Swiss Alps with soldiers marching to battle – listen to the trumpets herald the full orchestra before the music gets faster and faster. Try galloping along – can you keep up with the pace?!
Leroy Anderson: Jazz Pizzicato Jazz Pizzicato was written by Leroy Anderson, an American composer born over 100 years ago. Can you see the special way in which the string section are making sounds with their instruments without using a bow? This technique – where fingers are used to pluck the strings – is called pizzicato. It makes all the notes very short, sharp and ‘spikey’! Like this? Try listening to Jazz Legato, Anderson’s companion piece to Jazz Pizzicato. When he wrote his first piece, it was too short, so he was asked to compose something longer to accompany it. In music notation, the Italian word legato means ‘tied together’ or played smoothly (unlike pizzicato).
Henryk Wieniawski: Scherzo-Tarantelle A warm welcome to today’s violin soloist Hyeyoon Park, who appears courtesy of London Music Masters. This lively piece was written by the Polish composer Henryk Wieniawski. As well as being a composer, Wieniawski was also an exceptionally talented violinist who even invented his own way of holding the violin bow in order to play very short ‘hopping’ notes – which we call staccato – as fast as possible. The word scherzo means ‘joke’ or ‘play’, while the term tarantelle describes the energetic folk dances still very popular in southern Italy. This region is also the home of the feared tarantula wolf spider and the story goes that the speed of the tarantella dance may be because of – or the remedy for – this hairy scary creature’s bite! Like this? You might also like Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No. 2 or Legende.
The Sleeping Beauty is a ballet based on a fairytale made famous by the Brothers Grimm, with music written by the brilliant Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It is the story of a beautiful princess who, as a baby, is cursed by a wicked fairy to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die. This excerpt depicts the moment when the curse comes partially true – watch the percussionists at the big climax! Like this? You should try music from another of Tchaikovsky’s ballets like The Nutcracker, another fairytale-like adventure!
Benjamin Wallfisch: The Porcupine This piece has been composed especially for our FUNharmonics Family Concert today! A little girl, ecstatic with her weekly purchase of yummy sweets, takes herself to a quiet spot to eat them. However, she unsuspectingly sits herself down on a porcupine, and its needles get stuck in her rear! Her mother has to take her to the dentist to have them pulled out ... but has she learnt her lesson? Like this? Then you must come along to our next FUNharmonics Family Concert on Sunday 11 May, where you will be able to hear Benjamin Wallfisch’s next piece in our Dirty Beasts series, The Ant-Eater.
The Bare Necessities was originally written by Terry Gilkyson for the animated 1967 Disney film The Jungle Book. Baloo the bear explains to his friend Mowgli how to avoid certain dangers in the jungle. Listen carefully to the lyrics – what might be dangerous about the pears?
FUNharmonics performers – Quick facts David Angus – conductor • David started work as a music teacher, but enjoyed leading his student groups so much that he decided to train as a conductor. • He conducts different orchestras in the UK, Europe and America. • He is a chocoholic, and loves photography.
Benjamin Wallfisch – composer • Benjamin is a British composer and conductor, who began writing music at the age of 10. • He has composed music for the concert hall, cinema, ballet and theatre, and has had his compositions performed at the BBC Proms and the Royal Opera House, and broadcast on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4 and Classic FM.
Chris Jarvis – presenter • Chris first started presenting by making funny voices for radio and TV programmes. • He has been visiting the Royal Festival Hall with his family since he was young. • His first musical experience was shaking a rattle – yes, he can remember it!
London Philharmonic Orchestra • The LPO performed more than 150 concerts to over 250,000 people last year. It also recorded music for films such as The Hobbit, Thor and Iron Man 3. • Their favourite pencil is the 2B. Much recommended. DIRTY BEASTS illustrations © 1983 Quentin Blake. Children’s porcupine illustrations by children from Heathbrook Primary School. FUNharmonics cartoons and screen animations by Patrick Blower & Graham Majin.
Join the FUNharmonics Party! On FUNharmonics concert days join the FUN throughout Royal Festival Hall from 10.00am– 11.30am, and then again after the concert until 2.00pm. All activities are free of charge. 10.00–11.30am & 1.15–2.00pm: Have-a-Go Instruments Various Rooms, Royal Festival Hall Have a go at playing an orchestral instrument under the guidance of an expert. Find out which one suits you best, and feel for yourself how the sound is made. 10.15–11.30am: Family Orchestra – The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall Become a member of our Family Orchestra, performing music using singing, drumming, hand percussion, clapping and shaking. Sessions take place from 10.15am before the concert (no sessions after). Join at any time! 1.15pm: Guest Ensemble – The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall The music continues beyond the concert hall. Today we are delighted to welcome the Junior Trinity Symphony Orchestra to the floor. Free Activity Sheets Don’t forget to pick up a free Activity Sheet when you arrive at Royal Festival Hall. It’s filled with music-themed quizzes and activities to do before the concert. FUNharmonics foyer activities are generously supported by The Jeniffer and Jonathan Harris Charitable Trust, Stentor Music Co Ltd, Yamaha Music Europe GmbH (UK) and Bell Percussion Limited. The London Philharmonic Orchestra is grateful to the Maxwell Morrison Charitable Trust for its generous support.
WELCOME TO SOUTHBANK CENTRE We hope you enjoy your visit. We have a Duty Manager available at all times. If you have any queries please ask any member of staff for assistance. Eating, drinking and shopping? Southbank Centre shops and restaurants include Foyles, EAT, Giraffe, Strada, YO! Sushi, wagamama, Le Pain Quotidien, Las Iguanas, ping pong, Canteen, Caffè Vergnano 1882, Skylon, Concrete, Feng Sushi and Topolski, as well as cafes, restaurants and shops inside Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Hayward Gallery. If you wish to get in touch with us following your visit please contact the Visitor Experience Team at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX, phone 020 7960 4250, or email customer@southbankcentre.co.uk
We look forward to seeing you again soon. A few points to note for your comfort and enjoyment: PHOTOGRAPHY is not allowed in the auditorium. LATECOMERS will only be admitted to the auditorium if there is a suitable break in the performance. RECORDING is not permitted in the auditorium without the prior consent of Southbank Centre. Southbank Centre reserves the right to confiscate video or sound equipment and hold it in safekeeping until the performance has ended. MOBILES, PAGERS AND WATCHES should be switched off before the performance begins.
The right is reserved to substitute artists and to vary the programme if necessary. Southbank Centre is a registered charity No. 298909 • The London Philharmonic Orchestra is a registered charity No. 238045 • London Philharmonic Orchestra, 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP • lpo.org.uk