RELAXED FAMILY CONCERT: THE CHIMPANZEES OF HAPPY TOWN

Ensemble 360 & Lucy Drever

Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon
Sunday 5 May 2024, 2.00pm

Full price: £12
Students/ Under 18s: £7

Past Event

Meet Chutney the Chimpanzee who, with one small act of planting a seed, transforms the lives of the entire town of Drabsville, and teaches its inhabitants to celebrate their differences, making life more colourful along the way!

Celebrating the importance of love and happiness, Paul Rissmann’s hour-long musical retelling of Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees’s much-loved picture book is performed by Ensemble 360 and narrator Lucy Drever. With narration, visuals from the book and plenty of chances to join in, this is a brilliant concert for 3 – 7 year-olds.

THE CHIMPANZEES OF HAPPY TOWN

Ensemble 360 & Caroline Hallam

Cast, Doncaster
Saturday 16 March 2024, 11.00am

Tickets*

£10 Adults
£6 Children (Under 16)

*Box office charges may apply

Past Event

Celebrating the importance of love and happiness in everyone’s lives, Paul Rissmann’s much-loved musical retelling of Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees’s best-selling picture-book returns.  

Meet Chutney the Chimpanzee who, with one small act of planting a seed, transforms the lives of the entire town of Drabsville, and teaches its inhabitants to celebrate their differences and make life more colourful along the way!   

With narration, visuals from the book and lots of music to introduce the musicians of Ensemble 360, this is a brilliant first concert for 3 – 7 year-olds. 

THE CHIMPANZEES OF HAPPY TOWN

Ensemble 360 & Lucy Drever

Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa
Sunday 10 March 2024, 11.30am

Tickets

£14 Adults
£8 Children
£38 Family Ticket (2 adults + 2 children)

Past Event

Celebrating the importance of love and happiness in everyone’s lives, Paul Rissmann’s much-loved musical retelling of Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees’s best-selling picture-book returns.  

Meet Chutney the Chimpanzee who, with one small act of planting a seed, transforms the lives of the entire town of Drabsville, and teaches its inhabitants to celebrate their differences and make life more colourful along the way!   

With narration, visuals from the book and lots of music to introduce the musicians of Ensemble 360, this is a brilliant first concert for 3 – 7 year-olds. 

CLOSE-UP FAMILY CONCERT: MUSIC FOR CURIOUS YOUNG MINDS

Elinor Moran, Roderick Williams & Ensemble 360

Crucible Playhouse, Sheffield
Saturday 25 May 2024, 10.30am

Tickets
£12
£7 UC, DLA or PIP
£5 Under 16s

Past Event
Singer Roderick Williams

A lively family concert, featuring five wind musicians (flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon and horn) and a very special guest singer, Roderick Williams (soloist at King Charles III’s Coronation) who will perform Vaughan Williams’ song ‘The Vagabond’. Together they breathe life into the wondrous world of chamber music.  

They’ll play well-known classical favourites from Britten and Debussy to Haydn and Holst, alongside more recent works such as Anna Meredith’s playful portrait of a moth and Valerie Coleman’s celebratory Kwanza dance.  

Perfect for 7-11 year olds, this is a lively, interactive concert, and a rare opportunity for families to experience the world-famous baritone Roderick Williams performing up close in the Crucible Playhouse! 

Part of Sheffield Chamber Music Festival 2024. 

View the brochure online here or download it below.

DOWNLOAD

Save £s when you book for 5 Music in the Round concerts or more at the same timeFind out more here.

Programme:
BRITTEN I. Prologue from Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings (1’30) 
HAYDN arr. Parry IV. Rondo-Allegretto from Divertimento No.1 (2’) 
ONSLOW IV. Finale (extract) from Wind Quintet (3’30) 
ARNOLD I. Allegro con brio from Three Shanties (2’30)
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS arr. Morton ‘The Vagabond’ from Songs of Travel (3)
LIGETI III. Allegro grazioso from ‘6 Bagatelles’ (2’30) 
DEBUSSY Syrinx (3’) 
BACEWICZ I. Allegro from Quintet for Wind Instruments (3’) 
STRAVINSKY II. from ‘Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet (1’) 
HOLST IV. Air and Variations from Wind Quintet (4’) 
DANZI IV. Allegretto from Wind Quintet No.2 (3’) 
MEREDITH  Moth’ from Tripotage Miniatures (2’30) 
COLEMAN  Umoja (2’45) 

SIR SCALLYWAG & THE BATTLE OF STINKY BOTTOM

Ensemble 360 & Lucy Drever

Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
Saturday 18 May 2024, 10.30am

Tickets
£12
£7 UC, DLA or PIP
£5 Under 16s

Past Event
An illustration for our family concert in Sheffield for SCMF 2024, Sir Scallywag and the Battle of Stinky Bottom. Sir Scallywag is in armour, holding a sword skewering a sausage.

No interval 

When King Colin sets his sights on finding the famous Golden Sausage, there’s only ONE person for the job: Sir Scallywag! But will the six-year-old knight be mighty enough to defeat the filthy trolls and win the Stinkiest Battle Ever? 

Paul Rissmann’s much-loved musical retelling of Giles Andreae and Korky Paul’s best-selling picture book returns. With narration, visuals from the book and lots of music, this is a brilliant first concert for 3–7 year-olds. 

Part of Sheffield Chamber Music Festival 2024.

View the brochure online here or download it below.

DOWNLOAD

Save £s when you book for 5 Music in the Round concerts or more at the same timeFind out more here.

“My own seven and five-year-olds who were enchanted by the show, one rated it ‘ten thumbs up’ and the other gave it ‘1,000 out of 10’. Both were keen to have the Sir Scallywag story read to them repeatedly that night too.”

Yorkshire Post

SIR SCALLYWAG & THE GOLDEN UNDERPANTS

Ensemble 360 & Alice Beckwith

Stoller Hall, Manchester
Saturday 23 September 2023, 11.00am / 1.00pm

Tickets from £7.50

Past Event

Part of Manchester Medieval Quarter Festival 2023.

When King Colin’s golden underpants go missing, it’s Sir Scallywag to the rescue! Brave and bold, courageous and true, he’s the perfect knight for the job… even if he is only six years old!  

Original music by our children’s Composer-in-Residence, Paul Rissmann, features instruments including strings, woodwind, and horn, presented together with story-telling and projected illustrations from the best-selling children’s book by Giles Andreae and Korky Paul.   

Performed by the wonderfully dynamic and hugely engaging Ensemble 360 and Alice Beckwith, this concert is a great introduction to live music for children. It’s full of wit, invention, songs and actions, and plenty of opportunities to join in.  

For 3 – 7 year-olds and their families.

THE CHIMPANZEES OF HAPPY TOWN

Ensemble 360 & Elinor Moran

The Guildhall, Portsmouth
Monday 20 November 2023, 1.30pm

Booking for schools is now open, for tickets please contact portsmouthmusichub@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

CONCERTS FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Celebrating the importance of love and happiness in everyone’s lives, Paul Rissmann’s much-loved musical retelling of Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees’s best-selling picture-book returns.  

Meet Chutney the Chimpanzee who, with one small act of planting a seed, transforms the lives of the entire town of Drabsville, and teaches its inhabitants to celebrate their differences and make life more colourful along the way!   

With narration, visuals from the book and lots of music to introduce the musicians of Ensemble 360, this is a brilliant first concert for 3 – 7 year-olds.

Presented in collaboration with the Guildhall Trust and Portsmouth Music Hub.

IZZY GIZMO

Ensemble 360 & Polly Ives

Snape Maltings, Snape
Sunday 20 August 2023, 11.00am

Tickets: £6

Past Event

Approximately 50 minutes with no interval

Music and narration performed by Ensemble 360 and Polly Ives.

Best-selling children’s book Izzy Gizmo (by Pip Jones and illustrated by Sara Ogilvie), tells the enchanting story of an intrepid young inventor who puts her talents to work to rescue a crow that can’t fly.

Izzy’s mechanical marvels and infectious creative spirit are brought to life through storytelling and visuals from the book for a brand-new live performance for children and their families.

With original music by Paul Rissmann the show features 11 instruments including strings, woodwind, horn and piano, and you might even spot the musicians playing pots, pans, whistles and household items! It’s a great introduction to live music for children, full of wit, invention, songs and actions, and plenty of opportunities to join in.

Ideal for 3-7 year olds.

Watch the trailer here!

THE CHIMPANZEES OF HAPPY TOWN

Ensemble 360 & Lucy Drever

Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
Saturday 11 November 2023, 11.00am / 3.00pm

Tickets:
£14
£8 UC, PIP & DLA
£5 Under 16s

Past Event

Celebrating the importance of love and happiness in everyone’s lives, Paul Rissmann’s much-loved musical retelling of Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees’s best-selling picture-book returns.  

Meet Chutney the Chimpanzee who, with one small act of planting a seed, transforms the lives of the entire town of Drabsville, and teaches its inhabitants to celebrate their differences and make life more colourful along the way!   

With narration, visuals from the book and lots of music to introduce the musicians of Ensemble 360, this is a brilliant first concert for 3 – 7 year-olds. 

CLOSE UP: MUSIC FOR CURIOUS YOUNG MINDS

Ensemble 360 & Aga Serugo-Lugo

Cast, Doncaster
Saturday 10 June 2023, 11.00am

Tickets:
£10
Under 26s £6

 

Past Event

A tour through the wondrous world of chamber music, specially created for young audiences.

Combining some of the most well-known music ever written, as well as some new works from surprising places. This brand-new concert includes thrilling adventures through music, cheeky characters and epic heroes, along with mind-blowing musical games and the chance to join in and make music together.

Introduced by Aga Serugo-Lugo, this is a friendly hour of fun and the finest string quartet music.

Ideal for 7-11 year olds.

The concert includes extracts from:

SCHUBERT String Quartet in D Minor ‘Death And The Maiden’
STRAVINSKY Three Pieces
HAYDN Op.33 No.3 ‘Russian Quartet’
MOZART String Quartet In E Flat
WEIR String Quartet
MEREDITH Short Tribute to Teenage Fanclub
Arr. BURLEIGH Oh Lord, What a Morning
SUK  Meditation on an Old Czech Chorale
BEETHOVEN String Quartet No. 16 Op.135
DVOŘÁK String Quartet No.12 ‘American Quartet’

SCHUBERT String Quartet in D Minor (excerpt for ‘Close Up’)

Hey Presto! We begin with a twitchy chase from Franz Schubert, which he told the string players should be played ‘presto’ meaning ‘very quick or very fast’. How does the sound change when each musician plays on their own? How do you feel when they all play the same tune together? This tense piece kicks off an exciting hour of music…

HAYDN Russian Quartet No.3 (excerpt for ‘Close Up’)

Haydn was the composer who did most to first create a form of music for two violins, a viola and a cello: a group we know as a string quartet. This piece has the nickname ‘The Bird’ — can you hear why?

MOZART String Quartet In E Flat K428 (excerpt for ‘Close Up’)

This beautiful tune is almost like a lullaby and shows how gentle the sound of the strings can be. Listen to the way the first violin plays a tune and the other three instruments rock gently back and forth underneath, creating a warm blanket of sound. This is music to wrap up warm within. How does it make you feel?

WEIR String Quartet (excerpt for ‘Close Up’)

This string quartet was written by a composer who is making music today, the wonderful Judith Weir. A piece full of mysteries, inspired by a medieval Spanish tune. This quartet sounds like a strange landscape where it’s easy to get lost among these lopsided rhythms where nothing is quite as it seems…

SUK Josef, Meditation on an Old Czech Chorale (excerpt for ‘Close Up’)

This piece was written at the start of the first world war and is full of the drama and sadness of a scary time. But it ends full of hope with long notes seeming to climb into the air. Look and listen out for all the times the musicians play across the strings to make two or more notes sound at once — a technique called double stopping.

MEREDITH Anna, Short Tribute to Teenage Fanclub (excerpt for ‘Close Up’)

Anna Meredith is another musician writing music today. She makes music for her band as well as for classical musicians, often mixing up instruments usually seen in an orchestra with rock and pop instruments. This piece combines the two and is a tribute to one of her favourite bands performed by string quartet who don’t use their bows at all but pluck their instruments in a technique called ‘pizzicato’.

BEETHOVEN ‘The Harp’ Quartet (excerpt for ‘Close Up’)

This beautiful quartet is known as ‘the harp’ because in the first part, all four musicians have sections where they pluck the strings their instruments rather than using the bow. Can you hear the difference?

BURLEIGH Henry Thacker, Oh Lord, What A Morning (excerpt for ‘Close Up’)

This is a traditional song created by enslaved Africans in America. The composer and singer Harry Burleigh was the grandchild of slaves who became a famous musician and helped share music by black people with the rest of the world. This simple song looks forward to a better time when injustices like slavery and racism will end. Perhaps you can hear both the sadness and the hope in this beautiful music.

STRAVINSKY Igor, Three Pieces for String Quartet (excerpt for ‘Close Up’)

This spiky, short piece of music was created in Russia at the same time Suk wrote the piece we heard earlier. Stravinsky uses the plucking technique we heard in the Meredith and Beethoven, as well clashing notes and unexpected changes in pulse and speed. Stravinsky keeps us guessing what he’ll do next!

DVOŘÁK ‘American’ String Quartet (excerpt for ‘Close Up’)

This piece brings our concert to a celebratory end, from Czech composer Anton Dvořák. Listen out for all the places it gets louder, or faster — or both! — or where the quartet hang back to build tension. This piece uses folk tunes from Czechoslovakia, where Dvořák was born and started writing, and includes a native American tune, and music from all the people like him who had travelled to live and work in the USA. Bringing these together, our concert ends with an explosion of joy!

IZZY GIZMO Family Concert

Ensemble 360 & Polly Ives

Stoller Hall, Manchester
Saturday 4 February 2023, 1.30pm

Tickets
£10 Adults
£5 Under 18s
£15 Family ticket

Past Event

with music and narration by Ensemble 360 & Polly Ives 

Izzy Gizmo is the enchanting story of an intrepid young inventor who puts her talents to work to rescue a crow that can’t fly. Based on Pip Jones’s best-selling children’s book with illustrations by Sara Ogilvie, this interactive family concert brings Izzy’s mechanical marvels and infectious creative spirit to life, with original music by Paul Rissman featuring pots, pans, whistles and household items, as well as orchestral instruments. A great introduction to live music for children from 3-7 years old, full of songs, actions and opportunities to join in.

SIR SCALLYWAG & THE GOLDEN UNDERPANTS

Ensemble 360 & Polly Ives

Cast, Doncaster
Saturday 22 April 2023, 11.00am
Past Event

When King Colin’s golden underpants go missing, it’s Sir Scallywag to the rescue! Brave and bold, courageous and true, he’s the perfect knight for the job… even if he is only six years old! 

Original music by our children’s Composer-in-Residence, Paul Rissmann, features instruments including strings, woodwind, and horn, presented together with story-telling and projected illustrations from the best-selling children’s book by Giles Andreae and Korky Paul.  

Performed by the wonderfully dynamic and hugely engaging Ensemble 360 and Polly Ives, this concert is a great introduction to live music for children. It’s full of wit, invention, songs and actions, and plenty of opportunities to join in.