The recent collaboration between composer Leigh Baker, the Collegiate Brass Ensemble and Sterling Musical Instruments has been a tremendous success, with fantastic feedback from the schools the project visited, and a massive amount of media interest.

Hybrid instruments

Anglian Water commissioned Sterling to make five hybrid instruments — part brass and part blue water pipes — and then booked the London based Collegiate Brass Ensemble to take the instruments around schools to inspire children to learn about how to make music at the same time as taking on board some simple tips about how to save water.

H2 Overture

Leigh Baker wrote a piece specially for the quintet to perform, with the 'H2-Overture' being the result!

Head of Media at Anglian Water Dan Baker, who came up with the idea for the campaign, told 4BR the project went fantastically:

Live TV was a lot of fun, though trying to get these bizarre instruments to sound good was a challenge at the best of times, never mind with that sort of pressurePete Collins

Water conservation

"We wanted to inspire the school children and the media, and we certainly achieved our aims. The schools all thoroughly enjoyed the workshops given by Colelgiate Brass, and the children really did seem to be taking on board our water conservation messages.

"We hope that the sessions were so inspiring, what they learned will have really sunk in. In terms of media, we couldn't really have hoped for more".

Roadshow

During the week-long roadshow, which visited schools in Kings Lynn, Colchester, Biggleswade, Lincoln and Peterborough, there was coverage on ITV Anglia News, ITV Central News, BBC TV Look East, BBC Radio Norfolk, BBC Radio Essex, BBC Radio Lincolnshire, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, BBC 3-Counties Radio and about a dozen newspapers.

Breakfast show

Most days started with an early trip to the nearest BBC local radio station for a live slot into the breakfast show, then onto the school for the workshops, and then a further media call before driving on to the next destination.

Rewarding week

Pete Collins, leader of the Collegiate Brass Ensemble, told 4BR: "It was an incredibly rewarding week, but also absolutely exhausting. I don't suppose many brass groups will have enjoyed quite so much media exposure in such a short time.

"Live TV was a lot of fun, though trying to get these bizarre instruments to sound good was a challenge at the best of times, never mind with that sort of pressure!"

Further coverage

There will be a further week of workshops in September, and it's hoped that further coverage will be generated.

Dan Baker added: "The real goal now is for some National TV coverage. The last campaign I came up with ended up live on The Richard & Judy show... for this one, I'm going to target things like Blue Peter. I may even contact Frank Renton to see if we can get a short slot on Radio 2!"

Events in London are also in the pipeline (excuse the pun), with 'Music in the Pipeline' also being submitted for a raft of prestigious awards.