Ahead of the Game project is magic!

Posted on 26/11/09

Pupils from St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School, Steyning, have helped to launch a countywide project.

The school’s children chorus will join other young people from around the county to perform a version of Maurice Ravel’s children’s opera The Child and the Magic.

The children put on a showcase last Thursday (November 19) at the school with teasers for the show, which will include a 35-piece orchestra, digital animation and projection, and a full professional cast. The production will visit small festivals and other locations around the county, premiering at Steyning Festival in May 2011.

This project is one of the seven Ahead of the Game cultural programmes coming. Each one sets excellent standards for having international partnerships and involving children.

Ahead of the Game’s Creative Producer, Paul Ackerley, said: “Our mantra is ‘Made in West Sussex for the World’, and our ambition is to make people sit up and take notice. The showcase was attended by 110 specially invited guests, including parents, council representatives and festival organisers. It should prove to be very popular when it goes on tour in 2011.”

The Child and the Magic is one of only a few operas written for children. It is a powerful tale of childhood rebellion against a world of adult expectations and its consequences.

Full rehearsals will start in autumn 2010 and the website www.thechildandthemagic.co.uk will go live shortly.