'Sounds New' Composers' Pyramid

Date: Friday 23 January 2009

Mr Spencer Payne, the Head of Academic Music, has sent me the following report on yesterday's exciting musical day.

Sounds New Young Composer Pyramid Day

With Paul Patterson

Thursday 22^nd January, 2009

Pupils from St Edmund’s School, Canterbury and six other local schools, Simon Langton Boys & Girls, St Lawrence College, Chaucer Technology, Highworth and Norton Knatchbull, all joined forces to take part in this new project. The session was led by the famous composer, Paul Patterson who is particularly famous for his music written for the Hammer House Horror films.

Many pupils were finding it hard to be convinced by such a musical style but as the day progressed there seemed to be a crescendo of enthusiasm amongst the participants. Paul Patterson explored the sound world created by using instruments in unusual ways. In particular, the school hall piano was drummed with the fingers, strings were stroked with glasses and cups, and a bass drum beater was knocked against various parts of the frame. This gives some idea of the sound world that Patterson has been exploring, and was keen to introduce us to, just before lunch. This also gave rise to a rendition at the piano of the Aeolian Harp by Henry Cowell by four St Edmund’s pupils – Benedict Preece (silently depressing the keys), Jessica White Pearson (plucking strings), Sophie Belinfante & Seth Scott-Deuchar (stroking the strings up and down respectively) – apologies to the bursar, Mrs Mary Stannard (we need a new piano anyway)!

In the afternoon, all schools took part using the stimulus of ‘taking a line for a walk’. This was essentially an aid to composing using a few guidelines and pupils instruments in novel ways, to produce a short piece of music. The Langton Schools took this literally and were actually seen marching around the car park with their instruments whilst creating interesting sounds. St Edmund’s attempt followed the shape and articulation made by Mr Payne’s hand and fingers. Things then started to get out of hand when Seth Scott-Deuchar conducted the group with his ‘digits’, claiming that his inspiration was gained from a rather suspect drawing that he had produced two days earlier. Nonetheless, it was a crowning masterpiece that anyone could be proud of.

We were left buzzing by the end of the day and it is hoped that it might lead to us being involved with Sounds New in the future, when the world famous composer Krzysztof Penderecki comes to visit. Well done all performers!