Creative Journeys Report 2019

22 Creative Journeys Sinfonia Viva with Orchestras Live Orchestras Live is a national music charity, passionate that people from all backgrounds should have the opportunity to participate in and enjoy the highest quality orchestral experience, regardless of their age or location. With over 50 years’ experience, they make world-class orchestral music relevant to people’s lives through dynamic partnerships and innovative projects, particularly in culturally under-served areas of England. Workshops are delivered through Sinfonia Viva who comprise a virtuoso ensemble delivering original and extraordinary creative musical experiences. Founded in 1982, Sinfonia Viva has a national reputation as a leader in creative music activity in the UK. The programme in Bridgewater Care Home enabled residents to participate in singing and composing their own songs over three half-day sessions, which were performed along with three other local care homes at a community centre with support of a live professional orchestra. The approach worked with staff to encourage the use of creativity in their future work, for example before the programme started there was a session for staff to experience some of the activities and help them to understand the approach, whilst also opening lines of communication between the arts facilitator and the staff. The sessions were delivered by a lead facilitator, a composer and a cellist, along with two professional orchestral musicians, a trumpeter and a violinist, and an education officer. Approximately 20 residents were involved at different points, and two activities coordinators, along with two volunteer students from a local secondary school, a volunteer pianist who came into the home regularly to play for the residents, and up to three family members who also attended the sessions. Other staff members and residents would often walk into the room where the sessions were taking place and watch. Due to various practical difficulties, sessions were sometimes delayed in starting and sometimes took place in noisy communal spaces. The sessions would begin with the musicians saying hello to everyone and introducing the musicians one-by-one, and playing pieces of music as a trio. Then some vocal warm-up exercises (such as yawning at different volumes, going “shh shh shh” or “ooooooh”) would take place along with movements/stretches (such as moving hands, rubbing legs, stretching arms out). Then the lead musician would introduce a familiar song and encourage the residents to sing along (e.g. to “Bella Mama” or “Summertime”). Sometimes the residents would be encouraged to pair up and sing to each other and also had the opportunity to conduct the musicians using a baton. Across the three sessions, residents were also encouraged to join in with writing the lyrics and melody to a new song. The theme of the song was “journeys” and resources such as pictures were handed round to stimulate ideas/discussion, resulting in a song about journeying through a dessert. This was performed with a full professional orchestra at the final performance. Almost all of the residents who took part in the sessions were able to attend the performance, along with various relatives and staff members. Box 3: Sinfonia Viva with Orchestras Live at Bridgewater Care Home