Before anybody reads Amber’s report below, I would like to thank all participants at this workshop, especially as several BBCM people had to negotiate clashes of crucial dates as well as health issues. Particular thanks to Amber, David Franklyn and Hester Goodsell, all three from BBCM classes several decades ago but still loyal and rock-solid supporters. THANK YOU!
Agnes Kory

Sitting in their white BBCM shirts, from right to left: Hester, David and Amber

 
Third BBCM workshop on beautiful Hampstead Heath

By Amber Onat Gregory

Something that the pandemic has brought to the BBCM is the joy of singing outdoors. Yes, there were times when we have been stopped by bad weather and returned to Zoom, but for this year we have predominantly been singing behind Hampstead Theatre (Swiss Cottage) in all seasons, and there has been something very special about that.

This was only the third end of year BBCM concert on Hampstead Heath, but this new tradition is becoming a firm favourite. It is a wonderful celebration of not only the culmination of a year of BBCM classes, but also a celebration of the joy of singing in nature.

Some of us met by Hampstead Heath train station and began the walk to our chosen spot, whilst others met us there. Our varied mixture of ages certainly led to many different walking speeds, and I cannot claim that we walked in steady pace, as by the end it definitely did feel like a race.
[AK: one of our regular BBCM songs is a Hungarian marching song: “Can you walk in steady pace, Don’t rush this is not a race”.] Due to this arrival of people at different times, we improvised with the planned schedule and started with a couple of instrumental numbers.

Instrumental performances provide an opportunity for the children to play instruments they learn outside of the BBCM to the group to which Agnes provides feedback in line with the teachings of the BBCM. It is always wonderful to hear people to play individually and to see how the work we do with Agnes feeds into the rest of their musical education. First up was Hugo Rudd who had chosen the children’s classic ‘Old Macdonald’ on guitar; as this is a song that the kindergarten children sing at the BBCM. To start with Hugo played it on his own, and then was joined by everyone singing it in sol fa. Next, we had Stylianos Miskouri-Ottoson playing Sailor’s Hornpipe on the violin (traditional, arranged by David Burndrett) which he played with beautiful rhythmic determination. (Thanks to Hugo for acting as Stylianos’s music stand for the piece).

Past, present and future; ex-BBCM student Hester with daughter Eva Sophia, incoming kindergarten pupil

We then moved on to music that is usually sung in the kindergarten class – Marching song, Bell song, Candlelight song, Frog song, Mosquito song – and then onto the pieces that the older children study like Birch Tree (a Russian folk song) and a Bach Chorale in A minor (No.72, St Matthew Passion).

We were then thrilled to be joined later in the event by Mimi Madaras, who had been held up as she was playing the violin at her school summer fair. Mimi played Intermezzo, which is an orchestral piece: an actual intermezzo within Kodály's opera Háry János, and currently a Grade 5 exam piece. A huge ‘thank you’ to Mimi for playing it so incredibly and for rushing over to our BBCM concert and to play her piece almost immediately – a busy double concert day for an 8-year-old!

We then moved onto Kodály’s Bicinia Hungarica numbers 3-6; Bartók’s choruses Ne Menj El, Játék; our usual end of year BBCM song (When you join the BBCM, You will learn a lot of music…” to the tune of an Islandic folksong) and Quodlibet (that is three German songs, sang in three-part rounds simultaneously).

Incoming new kindergarten pupils Scarlet (Amber’s youngest child) and Eva Sophia had enough of sitting.

During these end of year concerts, we have the unique opportunity to look at a broad spectrum of the BBCM curriculum and to look at what material all classes are looking at throughout the year – no matter which class you are in yourself. The younger children experience what they will be learning in the future, and the older children (and adult students) can reminisce about the pieces from the kindergarten class.

Our numbers may feel small at the moment, but our spirit is strong, as is our musicality – and we still managed a 9-part Quodlibet. As is tradition, we finished with a rousing Ode to Joy. As always, it is a beautiful way to celebrate the end of another school year.

A huge ‘thank you’ to Agnes for continuing to pour all her love and dedication into the unique musical education that the BBCM students receive.
See you all in September!