Young musicians to create a brand new show – in six days
Devon-based folk arts charity Wren Music are hosting a residency with an international flavour this summer, in a young musicians project that will culminate in three live shows – including a performance at Sidmouth Folk Week.
Over 20 musicians will gather in Okehampton to create a brand new show celebrating their traditional cultures. The 22 musicians, aged 17 to 30, will be travelling from Latvia, Sardinia and Lithuania, as well as from across Devon.
The creative pressure will be well and truly on them as they have just six days to prepare for three public performances in Okehampton, Exeter and at Sidmouth Folk Week.
After taking part in a similar exchange in Turkey in September 2013, the young musicians at Wren were keen to recreate the magic in their home country. And following a successful application to the British Council, Wren has developed new relationships with three organisations that work in similar ways in their home countries.
Marilyn Tucker from Wren said the project is presenting new challenges for the staff team. “It’s difficult to publicise the show because we don’t know what will be in it. We don’t have a photo or even a name for the band! But that’s part of the excitement of a project like this.”
Rich Pyle, a singer and flautist from Ipplepen, has just finished his A Levels and said the project will provide a nice creative change: “I’ve done so much maths I can’t wait to just have some time dedicated to music!”
And Fran Lloyd, a young singer from Exeter, is looking forward to working with the visiting musicians: “I’ve never met anyone from any of these countries, so it’s going to be really cool to share our music with them.”
The theme of the project is ‘Music from more than 100 years ago.’ Project Manager Amy Wilson explained: “We chose this theme to get back to a time before widespread recorded music and before music was written for a mass global market. We’re talking real old folk music. We have some themes for the week including work songs, protest songs and traditions relating to harvest time.”
Amy said she is excited to hear how the young musicians might decide to present their different cultures alongside each other. “I’m interested to see which similarities and differences the young people choose to focus on.
“When musicians work intensively like this, there can be so much creative energy that sometimes we have the problem of too many songs!”
The group will be resident in Okehampton from 25 July until 4 August, and the new show can be seen at the following venues:
Friday 1 August, 7pm St James’ Chapel, Okehampton
Saturday 2 August, 7pm, St Stephen’s Chapel, Exeter High Street
Sunday 3 August, 12.30pm, Blackmore Gardens, Sidmouth Folk Festival
For more information, visit www.wrenmusic.co.uk
