SCHOOLCHILDREN are learning a quirky musical instrument ahead of a popular festival.
Up to 17 nine-year-olds from Westdene Primary School in Brighton are being given free lessons on the bassoon as part of a project spearheaded by Brighton Early Music Festival, which opens next week.
Watercycle, the joint project between the festival, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and SoundCity, is an “orchestral journey inspired by water”.
The project in Brighton has a “specific bassoon focus” and pupils at Westdene are benefiting from a term’s free lessons on the instrument.
Westdene music co-ordinator Emma Bright said: “This is an amazing opportunity for our Year 4 pupils. They are thoroughly enjoying their lessons with Lucy Keyes, from Brighton and Hove Music Service.”
Peter Chivers, from SoundCity, added: “The bassoon is a fantastically versatile instrument that plays a vital role in many music groups. However, it is not always an obvious choice, with a decreasing number of children choosing to learn it.”
As part of the project, the orchestra is travelling to Brighton for three concerts on Friday and Saturday. For more information, visit www.oae.co.uk and www.bremf.org.uk.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here