RCM Sparks at the BBC Proms
Tuesday 17 July 2018
RCM Sparks are giving young people the opportunity to engage with the BBC Proms in a unique way this summer with courses tailored around the Ten Pieces Prom on 29 July.
The Ten Pieces Prom, hosted by CBBC presenter Naomi Wilkinson, is a musical adventure for all the family featuring pieces by popular composers including Copland, Tchaikovsky and Elgar. Young performers are joined by the Ten Pieces Children’s Choir and special guests to explore the characters and stories behind ten spectacular orchestral works.
Animateur Anna Jewitt and graduate composer Charlotte Harding, whose new work Convo is due to be performed at the Royal Albert Hall in 2019, will lead RCM Sparks workshops for children aged 6-12 on the day of the Prom. Participants will spend the morning exploring music from the matinee and working creatively with a team of RCM musicians, before having the opportunity to attend the Prom with their families. They will have Promming Passes, allowing them to get up close to the action and soak up the special Proms atmosphere!
Charlotte Harding said: 'The BBC’s Ten Pieces provide a wonderful insight into the exciting world of classical music. From Mason Bates’ colourful Sprite; A Bao A Qu to Orff’s powerful ‘O fortuna’, there’s a wealth of musical materials, stories and compositional approaches we can draw on to inspire creative and inclusive music making.'
For 13-18 year olds, composer Fraser Trainer will lead the Springboard Composition Course, based around the music and composers featured in the Ten Pieces Prom. This five day course will allow an eclectic mix of young instrumentalists, singers, composers, songwriters and RCM musicians to collaborate and write some exciting new music. With an accessible and hands-on approach to music-making, the course will suit musicians from any background who don’t need to be able to read music to take part.
RCM Sparks is the Royal College of Music's ground-breaking Learning and Participation programme, providing opportunities for everyone to make or learn about music at the RCM. The programme also offers training for the next generation of music educators. In 2017, RCM Sparks ignited creativity in more than 3,600 members of the community and trained 190 RCM students and graduates.
Find out more about RCM Sparks’ Summer Music courses and book your place here.
