RNCM Young Explorer’s Concert – An Arabian Adventure at the RNCM
Gemma Gibb, Associate Editor
If you thought January wasn’t a magical month then you can think again as the RNCM team up with the talented Piccadilly Symphony Orchestra for a brand new edition of their engaging Young Explorer’s Concerts.
Aimed at age 7 and above, the theme is all things Arabian Nights, with conductor Tom Newall introducing relaxed performances from Russian composer Rimsky- Korsakov’s interpretation of One Thousand and One Nights. Feted as “one of the most popular and colourful works in the orchestral repertoire”, Korsakov’s dazzling compositions bring to life the stories, told by the heroic Scheherazade each night as a means to keep her villain of a husband from harming her. They include the thrilling antics of Aladdin, Ali Baba, Sinbad and many more, and focus on the power of a wonderful story to help conquer adversity.
This concert will be hard to beat for inquisitive young adventurers and demonstrates how music can be one of the most incredible ways of telling a story.
With an introduction to the tale before each piece of live music, it’s an utterly absorbing way to capture the interest and engage little ears and minds to the beauty, drama and places that live classical music can take you in your imaginations and beyond.
In addition to the narrative introductions and being able to watch and listen to the skill of the individual musicians and effect of the orchestra as a whole, acclaimed writer and illustrator James Mayhew (Katie and the Ella Bella series) will be illustrating episodes live on stage. Projected onto a screen, watch the pictures grow in time to the music. Magic indeed.
