"Mr Big had a small problem. Compared to everyone else, he was extremely big!"
Discover the story of Mr Big, the lonely gorilla whose scary appearance puts off potential friends, until he discovers a musical talent. Join Britten Sinfonia and presenter Hannah Conway for our interactive, sing-along family concert featuring live illustrations on stage from Mr Big’s author, Ed Vere.
Presenter Hannah Conway
Illustrator Ed Vere
Piazzolla Four Seasons of Buenos Aires: Spring
Hannah Conway Down in the jungle
Britten Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge: Romance
Animal Antics - FUNomusica Family Concert
Join Alasdair Malloy for another of Oxford Philomusica’s well-loved FUNomusica family concerts, this time celebrating members of the animal kingdom big and small! Come along to hear tuneful tigers, melodic mice and harmonious hamsters, as we explore the creatures of our world in typically musical style. Come dressed as your favourite animal! Pre-concert craft activities at 2pm Concert most suitable for ages 4-10 Concert ends 4pm
Alasdair Malloy, Presenter
Oxford Philomusica
In The Belly of the Horse is an opera for children aged 6 to 12 and their families performed by professional singers and players from English Touring Opera. It explores the fantastic story that leads the Greeks to build the wooden Trojan horse, told in many different and engaging ways including acting, singing, instrumental music, dance, animated film and puppetry.
In the Belly of the Horse (Leach, Rachel)
English Touring Opera
Writer/broadcaster Stephen Johnson brings his customary enthusiasm and dazzling breadth of knowledge to the subject of the festival’s British Musical Explorers strand – from Holst in India and Algeria and Delius in Baghdad to the equally far-reaching interests of John Foulds, John Tavener, David Fanshawe and Jonathan Harvey.
Liz Lane delivers a talk devised by David Fanshawe, explaining the work's genesis and David's expeditions with plenty of photos, field recordings, a 'spirit cap' and Latigo Oteng's harp. There will be an opportunity for the audience to ask questions about any of the music heard in the evening's performance.
Humphrey Burton, a longtime friend and BBC colleague who produced the famous Elgar film for Monitor, discusses the life and work of an original and occasionally outrageous film director whose creativity was inspired by a love of music – particularly the English composers of the early twentieth century.
Part 2 of our exploration of how the musical body works – and when it doesn’t work, how to fix it.
Fear and Fearlessness
Part 2 of our exploration of how the musical body works – and when it doesn’t work, how to fix it.
My body is a temple?
A lot of musicians shun conventional medical treatments in favour of ‘alternative’ or complementary therapies. This session investigates how Alexander Technique, Mindfulness, Pilates and the like can get musicians into peak mental and physical condition.
Part of our Musical Athletes Series.
Sophie Daneman Soprano
Philip Smith Baritone
Dominic Harlan Piano
Suitable for ages 8+
From fairy tales and Greek myths to tales of the extraordinary and the everyday, songs have always been a wonderful way of telling stories. Pianist and presenter Dominic Harlan is joined by two superb young singers for a stunningly original, interactive concert that needs to be seen to be believed. Celebrated tenor Ian Bostridge took his children to one of Harlan’s concerts at London’s Wigmore Hall recently, and proclaimed it ‘an unmitigated triumph of the imagination’.
Christine Riding was the curator of Tate Britain’s outstanding 2008 exhibition on British Orientalist painting, The Lure of the East. Here, prior to the performance of Delius’ music for the Baghdad romance Hassan, she discusses Orientalism in art within a wide cultural context.
Ends 19:30pm.
Talk preceeds M26 Hassan
In this performance, a narrative précis of Flecker’s play will accompany Delius’ score. More
