Families Invited to Roaring Wild Musical Adventure

Derby-based orchestra Sinfonia Viva have corralled a herd of favourite animal-themed music and songs for this year’s Get Creative Family Arts Festival which will be performed for children aged five and under and their families next month.

The Orchestra won a national award for last year’s family concert ‘The Boat & The Blue’ which was performed to a sell-out audience and this year’s date is now confirmed.

‘The Carnival of the Animals’ will be held on Sunday October 30 at the Rolls Royce Heritage Centre in Wilmore Road.

The fun starts at 2pm when families can meet the Viva players, try some of the instruments themselves, join craft activities and even take up the baton and have a go at conducting the orchestral ensemble. Then at 3pm, the 45-minute concert will begin.  The audience will take their seats on comfortable bean bags and enjoy an animal-themed programme of music, stories and songs. The music will be performed by a 14-piece ensemble of Viva players and will be led by award-winning composer and guitarist Jack Ross.   Throughout the concert, illustrator Eleanor Meredith will bring the themes to life with a series of live drawings and animations projected onto screens.

The programme features a host of wild tunes including new music written by Jack including‘Splosh, Splash Splish’, extracts from ‘The Carnival of the Animals’ created by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns in 1886 and such well known songs as ‘Five Little Ducks’, ‘The Little Green Frog’ and ‘Baby Bumble Bee’.  

The annual Get Creative Family Arts Festival is a national festival offering families an extraordinary range of arts activities to enjoy and the 2015 Viva’s family concert was recognised earlier this year with a Best Family Event award by the festival organisers.

Sinfonia Viva’s Marianne Barraclough said: “Our Family Arts Festival concerts have been a sell-out for the past three years - highlighting that there is a gap in the market for a high quality performance with elements that can be enjoyed by the whole family. “The afternoon is designed to be informal and fun so is ideal for pre-school children and their families. “The pre-concert activities are particularly popular and new activities this year will range from have a go conducting sessions to playing on mats which, when stepped on, alert a particular musician to play. “The concert itself is always great fun with loads of audience participation but then quiet times to give everyone a chance to sit back and enjoy the orchestral music. “We were delighted that last year’s concert was recognised with a national award and I am sure that this year’s programme will be equally well received by the audience.”

Tickets cost £6 with £2 for children aged under one. They are available by calling 0333 666 3366 or online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/date/276975

‘The Carnival of the Animals’ is supported by Rolls-Royce plc, Derby City Council and Orchestras Live. Sinfonia Viva is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

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