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Innovative musical partnership to bring Childs Play to life

A ground breaking musical collaboration is set to bring the importance of educational play in children's lives to a worldwide audience — starting in Shirebrook.

Childs Play
 

A ground breaking multi-partnership musical collaboration that will celebrate the history as well as the modern day importance of 'Childs Play' will be premiered in October in North Derbyshire.

Musical catalyst

Led by Bolsover District Council and Shirebrook Town Council and based in the Shirebrook area, the innovative project has brought together arts bodies, town and district councils, education providers, film makers, private home developers, composers, broadcasters and brass bands.

The various bodies and people have been brought together to provide a musical catalyst to inform ideas behind the development of a state of the art play area within the local community.

Soundtrack

The 10 month long project, made possible through funding by Arts Council England through 'Grants for Arts', Bolsover District Council, Shirebrook Town Council and First Art, has seen composer Paul Lovatt-Cooper work with pupils from the Shirebrook Academy on the brass band and choral soundtrack for the 14 minute film, which will be recorded by Black Dyke Band and performed under the direction of Prof Nicholas Childs.

It will also feature narration by Frank Renton, presenter of BBC Radio 2 'Listen to the Band' programme, and will explore a family friendly time-line history of many well known as well as very local nursery rhymes and games from the Victorian era to the present time — all underlined by the importance they provide in a child's enjoyment of educational play.

World premiere

The project will culminate in a live world premiere held in Shirebrook on October 15th and will include a live internet broadcast of the event, where Black Dyke, led by Prof Childs, will bring together additional the musical strands provided by Shirebrook Miners Welfare Band and a host of primary school choirs to join Frank Renton for a performance that will provide the local community with a musical celebration of the innovative partnership — and its lasting legacy.

it will explore a family friendly time-line history of many well known as well as very local nursery rhymes and games from the Victorian era to the present time — narrated by Frank Renton4BR

Legacy

Not only will the children of the area enjoy the benefit of a brilliant new 'Childs Play' area for many years to come, but it is hoped that the composition itself can be further developed to inspire other communities as well as being used as a bespoke brass band composition.

See the trailer

A great taster trailer has already been produced to showcase the project, its music and family friendly approach

Go to: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5W9WVusQ8rw

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Ian Holmes

BA (hons), PGDip (RCM), ARCM, ALCM
Conductor, piano accompanist and educator


               

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