In June 2018, Sistema in Norwich put on the first performance of their exciting, 12 concert Sistema Performance Project.
Music as a means of communication
Due to run through till October 2019, when the final concert will coincide with Sistema in Norwich’s 10th anniversary celebrations, the Sistema Performance Project has been designed so as to provide an astonishing range of opportunities for Sistema in Norwich’s Colegate Orchestra, combining a wide variety of musical genres and artistic formats.
Taking its lead from the title, this new project focuses on giving Sistema in Norwich’s young musicians the chance to take to the stage in a number of collaborations and performances with both local and European actors. And, talking about the project and its focus, Sistema in Norwich’s musical director, Juan Gabriel Rojas, emphasises the importance of public performance for the development of young musicians and their music:
Music is a form of communication, a way of expressing ideas and sharing emotions. If music is not played for a public it does not fulfil the totality of its function. And, for a music student, playing for a public is an essential part of his or her development as an artist. The musician needs to experiment with this communication, both as a means of evaluating progress and for the pleasure of giving something valuable to others. Performing also helps motivate students to improve their playing. Having a concert programme helps them to better organise their practice, setting goals and focusing their energy. As well as the opportunity to attend concerts of varied musical styles and settings, students can be inspired by sharing the stage with professional musicians. For all these reasons, performing is a crucial part of developing as a musician
The Sistema Performance Project thus increases Sistema in Norwich’s social impact, provides its students with additional performance time and accelerates their personal development, promoting self-confidence, resilience and leadership - all while building upon Sistema in Norwich's existing connections both at home and abroad.
A kaleidoscope of genres & art forms
Over the course of 12 concerts and just under a year and a half, Sistema in Norwich will engage with circus groups, the Norwich-based Vagaband, fellow Sistema-influenced groups and established musicians and composers from across Europe.
The project also provides the young musicians involved with the chance to compose for a variety of scenarios and formations, with pieces for soloists, ensembles, brass and wind sections all finding their way into the schedule.
Photos from the Sistema Performance Project in 2018
Use the arrows to scan the gallery
Half a year after the project’s start some of these scenarios have already been realised, with four project concerts having taken place in 2018: the launch party in June, a performance together with the fantastic Vagaband in September, an evening of collaboration with the local Lost in Translation circus company in October and a winter concert in December.
In particular, the concerts with Vagaband and Lost in Translation highlight the creativity and verve invested in the Sistema Performance Project, with the Colegate Orchestra finding itself in new territory on both occasions.
A potent symphony
The September concert saw the Colegate Orchestra players join forces with Vagaband on stage to form the Vagaband Youth Orchestra and perform seven specially-adapted tracks from Vagaband's first three albums.
As a band listed amongst the top 20 new roots groups in Europe on the release of their first album, the collaboration with Vagaband saw Sistema in Norwich introduce a vibrant mixture of folk, jazz, roots and Americana to the Colegate Orchestra’s repertoire and the musicians also found themselves faced with the challenge of turning pieces from all these genres into orchestral arrangements.
Yet, this challenge was mastered with panache on a memorable evening which left one commentator to reflect upon the fitting nature of the first song the band and the orchestra played together, with a Potent Symphony seeming to "…perfectly encapsulate what this collaboration was all about.".
Watch the Vagaband Youth Orchestra in action
Click on the lines and arrow symbol in the top left of the video to select different tracks from the playlist
Sistema goes to the circus
Just one month later, the children ventured into a perhaps even more creative collaboration, as they teamed up with Lost in Translation to create a musical circus experience.
One of the UK’s leading contemporary circus companies, Lost in Translation also works in education, with their 10 years of experience in putting on community and youth engagement programmes making them the perfect partner for the Sistema Performance Project.
And, interacting with the circus troupe, this third project concert saw the Colegate Orchestra put on a virtuoso performance, with both the players and the performers harmonising their respective arts and the acrobats "…swinging from silks to the sounds of violins [and] tumbling while the trumpets tickle their ears.".
This humorous performance featured a wide variety of music as the interplay between the orchestra and the members of the circus took the audience on a musical tour of circus history "…from ancient China to a modern jazzy groove...", with a playlist which originated to 50% from the pens of the young players performing it.
And, that is not withstanding the inclusion of a new composition by Firdevs Eke, whose work typically combines a unique concoction of Turkish traditional, flamenco, jazz and classical influences, adding yet another dose of exotic flair to the evening.
Watch Sistema in Norwich perform with Lost in Translation
Click on the lines and arrow symbol in the top left of the video to select different tracks from the playlist
Good enough for the Theatre Royal
All in all, the Sistema Performance Project is off to a very promising start and, looking back at the past eight months, Sistema in Norwich’s executive director, Marcus Patteson, had this to say:
The Performance Project is a fantastic opportunity and vehicle for enhancing the work of Sistema in Norwich. It offers so much, from raising the profile of the programme to extending the impact of our work, and, only four concerts in, we can see the impact it is having, particularly in the response from young people. We had planned the Winter Concert to be a programme for young people by the tutors, giving the children a chance to have a break after the hard work of the Vagaband and Circus concerts, but the orchestra insisted on performing, so we had to recast the concert to enable that. An audience member at the circus concert commented that the show was good enough to get into Norwich Theatre Royal (Norwich’s largest venue), so with the orchestra getting better and better and growing as more and more young people become excited to get involved, I have high hopes for the rest of the programme and I’m really excited about what we can achieve
Coming soon
And, to ensure that you can also start getting exciting about the events to come, here’s a short summary taster of what Sistema in Norwich have planned for the remainder of the project:
- Feb 15th - Sistema Soloists
A concert of soloists and small ensembles
Click here for more information & tickets to the concert
- April 18th – Sistema Winds
A wind, brass and percussion concert with In Harmony Telford in Blackfriars Hall
Click here for more information & tickets to the concert
- June 8th - Sistema Composers
A concert of material written by and for Sistema in Norwich, with several pieces from the young musicians themselves and a specially commissioned piece by Efraín Oscher
Click here for more information & tickets to the concert
- June 21st - Sistema Voices
A singing concert to mark the international Make Music Day & Refugee Week, with the Vox’n’Box singing group
Click here for more information & tickets to the concert
- July 7th – Sistema Concerto with Laida Alberdi
The Colegate Nucleo Orchestra will be joined by violinist Laida Alberdi, who will perform both individually and alongside the orchestra
Click here for more information & tickets to the concert
- July 20th – Sistema Summer Celebration
A summer concert by Sistema in Norwich’s junior orchestra, the Sarah Glover Orchestra
- August 1st - Head Out, Not Home with the Vagaband Orchestra
Sistema in Norwich will revisit their successful September concert with Vagaband at the Head Out, Not Home festival – a free outdoor event that takes place in Norwich city centre in the summer
- October 11th (tbc) - Finale and 10th Anniversary Celebration - Carnavalia
A Latin-themed event to conclude the Sistema Performance Project and to celebrate Sistema in Norwich’s 10th anniversary
Finding out more about Sistema in Norwich and the Sistema Performance Project
We wish Sistema in Norwich all the best with the remainder of the project and will report back on its second half here after their tenth anniversary festivities in October, however, if you yourself want to follow the programme’s developments and activities in the meantime, then we recommend making a start via the following links:
https://www.norcasistema.org.uknorcasistema.org.uk
https://www.norcasistema.org.uk/eventsnorcasistema.org.uk/events
https://www.facebook.com/norcasistemafacebook.com/norcasistema
https://twitter.com/NORCASistematwitter.com/NORCASistema