Chineke! – Europe’s first professional majority Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) orchestra, founded by the double bassist Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE – is working with Turner Sims and Southampton Music Hub to give school pupils in Southampton an extraordinary musical experience.
Pupils from Southampton schools will participate in a series of workshops in the lead up to Chineke!’s public performance at Turner Sims, on Thursday 23 November 2017.
To coincide with Black History Month in October, pupils from three Southampton schools learnt a newly commissioned arrangement of Symphony No 2, L’Amant Anonyme by Joseph Boulogne (Le Chevalier de Saint Georges), an extraordinary man who was not only an accomplished 18th century black composer and virtuoso violinist but also a celebrated fencer, athlete, soldier and political activist in Paris and across Europe.
This November, members of Chineke! Orchestra will join pupils in their schools and work together to learn the piece by Boulogne, as well as composing a new piece of music inspired by his life.
The project culminates in a large-scale performance for schools on Thursday 23 November, with over 150 young musicians playing alongside Chineke! musicians at Central Hall, Southampton. The performance comes ahead of Chineke!’s concert at Turner Sims the same evening.
The scheme aims to give the students inspiration and confidence during their formative years, with the hope of increasing the numbers of black and minority ethnic students studying music in higher education.
Kevin Appleby, Concert Hall Manager at Turner Sims says:
I’m thrilled that as part of Chineke!’s first visit to Turner Sims, we can bring some of the orchestra’s highly regarded learning and participation work to Southampton schools, providing children with inspiring encounters with world-class musicians. The project builds on the work we have done over a number of years, together with Southampton Music Hub and the national music charity Orchestras Live, in profiling orchestral music across the city. We’re grateful to Arts Council England for their support of Chineke!’s work which has enabled this innovative project to happen.
To book tickets for Chineke!’s performance on Thursday 23 November at 8pm call the Box Office on 023 8059 5151 or visit: https://www.turnersims.co.uk/events/chineke/
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