A sunny start to the day and we head up to the school where Anne gives a talk on the Gran Grifón for the children and the CHROMAties. After that we introduce our instruments and play some short pieces to show them off. The children can see the instruments close up and almost all of them are shorter than the bassoon… they ask interesting questions like “how do you know to start at the same time?” - which leads to a short lesson in chamber playing technique.
After lunch we return to the school for a session that starts with clapping and rhythm games, Caroline teaching the Pavane, followed by me taking the choreography section. I start with the slo-mo grandmother’s goblin footsteps which produced some excellent goblin movement and faces, then move onto teaching them the Sword Dance. They pick it up quickly and so well that we decide to speed the music and dance up.
Report from Eileen later was “very tired and very happy children” at the end of the day!
I then head to Lower Stoneybrek to talk with Neil Thomson, former skipper of the Good Shepherd, who tells me stories from the local folk memories of the Gran Grifón, plus stories of the Good Shepherd too.
Then I pop into Stackhoull to say hello to Robert and Fiona. Jo returns from her walk while I’m there, and we have a good kitchen table chat with a drink before I am called back to eat Shepherd’s Pie at Kenaby.
Thank yous today to Anne for her talk, Ruth, Hollie and Pat at the school, and all the children who listened, questioned and danced so well, and to Neil for the stories.
Blogging by Claire Shovelton
Neil, former skipper of the Good Shepherd