New term. New start. Pristine, untouched exercise books and, if you’re really lucky, newly printed text books too. That was all thirty years ago for me. Now, today, another thing to add to the list of signs for autumn: a new selection of Ten Pieces, this time for secondary schoolers.
The premiere of the second instalment of 成人论坛 Learning’s hugely successful ongoing Ten Pieces project was projected onto a big screen in central London earlier today. Four schools from across London were in attendance, so too some of the Ten Pieces ambassadors, all smiling excitedly about the prospect.
There was a different kind of hubbub to the one I experienced at the Backstage Centre in a few months back. Back then, the wide-eyed excitement of the primary schooler’s audience had whipped up proceedings into quite a frenzy. At that Ten Pieces Takeover Day (just like many others I’ve attended across the country) there was a palpable feeling that we were sharing something incredibly special with an unsuspecting audience.
The children displayed a sense of wonder about what they saw. This wasn’t just Barney Harwood fandom, there was something more. Ten Pieces I felt as though we were giving an intensely personal gift, sharing a favourite toy or introducing a lifelong pal to a new set of friends. Introducing classical music is an incredibly moving affair.
Director-General Tony Hall addresses secondary school pupils and guests.
Today’s event had the same thinking at its heart, of course. In his introduction to the premiere Director-In his introduction to the premiere Director-General Tony Hall said, “The most important thing is about giving people the chance to decide whether they like classical music or not.” But, as we leaned back in our seats and stretched out to listen to Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries, an extract from Shostakovich’s 10th symphony or the Mambo from Bernstein’s West Side Story, a secret weapon emerged to engage this new audience: the thrill of participation.
These weren’t only exhilarating works to listen to, they were works I wanted people 30 years younger than me to experience the thrill of participating in. I remember that feeling: being in amongst it brought classical music alive.
I first experienced some of these works via the National Youth Orchestra as a listener, watching school- friend Rebecca on stage playing violin in Shostakovich's Leningrad symphony. She was the first person I knew who had been on television. That and her demanding daily practise schedule inspired me to commit to improving my own clarinet playing. That work paid off and eventually resulted in me becoming a member of , in no small part due to Rebecca introducing me to its conductor, Philip Shaw.
Ambassadors and presenters from the 成人论坛's Ten Pieces II at the London film premiere. Top row L-R: Naomi Wilkinson, Alpesh Chauhan, Vikki Stone, Julian Joseph, Alison Balsom, Julian Lloyd-Webber, Nitin Sahwney. Bottom Row L-R: Roderick Williams, Suzy Klein, Molly Rainford, Lemn Sissay.
When it came to us getting a chance to play some of the music in Ten Pieces in Suffolk Youth Orchestra, then the connection was irrevocably sealed. Rehearsing Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story hour after hour back in 1990, hardwired the score into our brains. It is now an audio shortcut to some of the most important musical memories I had as a teenager, when classical music and the contemporaries who shared a passion for it, acted as a lifeboat from the boredom of everyday schooling and teenage angst.
When the Suffolk Youth Orchestra of 1990 reunited early last year, there was a loud cry to play the Symphonic Dances again. We never got around to playing it in the short time we had together. I suspect if we had, the difficulty of the music, which the intervening years had conveniently airbrushed from our memories, might have damaged our teenage memories.
It is the participation, performance or the re-enactment of that music, which moves classical music from being a passive experience to one of active participation, and with it the visceral emotions that such participation provokes.
The line-up of works offer a rich experience. Stokowski’s arrangement of Bach’s famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor, the Dies Irae from Verdi’s Requiem, the second movement of Shostakovich 10, and the third movement of Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto are all-encompassing numbers, especially in surround sound in a cinema.
Musicians from the 成人论坛 Symphony Orchestra, 成人论坛 Concert Orchestra and National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (who played a special Ten Pieces Mash-Up arranged by Steve Pycroft at the Ten Pieces premiere in London. Pictured with the group are children who attended the event, Tony Hall and trumpeter Alison Balsom.
In the Ten Pieces film we’re up close to the musicians who play in dramatic surroundings. The musicians look like contemporaries – Mums, Dads, sisters and brothers. Young and middle-aged, all dressed in neutral, low-key outfits designed to draw attention to the instruments, their faces and most importantly, the music. It seems so simple an idea to present classical music in this way, that it seems somewhat ridiculous to point out some of the more striking parts of the production. But it’s something I as an adult (and one who loves classical music) appreciate. Introductions at the beginning of each extract contextualise the work and – for those of us for whom a lot of the repertoire is very familiar – succeed in breathing new life into the music itself.
The most striking elements of the list of works, are the two contemporary pieces: Anna Clyne’s Night Ferry; Gabriel Prokofiev’s Concerto for Turntable for Orchestra. Not only are the sound worlds entirely different from anything we’ve heard before,they’re also put striking demands on musicians, and in the case of the Prokofiev, the DJ himself. These are not creations trying to appeal to a younger audience. They are works which exist in theirown right, do something daring and also appeal to a younger audience.
As an adult who loves classical music, the Ten Pieces II film doesn’t just strike me as a gift of music, it’s also promises the thrill of participation, if it turns out that’s something that floats your boat.
Jon Jacob is Editor, About the 成人论坛 Blog
- Teachers can on the Ten Pieces website.
- for free nationwide screenings of the Ten Pieces Second film.
- Visit for free online music teaching resources for both KS2 and KS3.
- Primary schools can still get involved by ordering and using the via the Ten Pieces website.
- about the Ten Pieces Takeover Day in Purfleet.
- a blog by Katy Jones from 2014 introducing the first Ten Pieces film.