The thought of getting a whole school of teenage boys to work with a classical symphony orchestra is enough to send shivers down one’s spine. It is also the very same feeling you get watching the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and the students putting up a fantastic animated version of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.
During rehearsals, the orchestra members even applauded after each scene- Alex Vella Gregory
Mussorgsky’s Pictures, written as a tribute to his artist-friend Viktor Hartmann, originally started off as a piano suite. The work was then orchestrated by various composers, including Ravel. Each movement depicts a drawing or painting done by Hartmann, with several linking movements (titled Promenade) in between.
The MPO’s project aimed at integrating the visual and aural stimuli once more by animating the music by means of scenery and puppets.
They approached St Clare College Boys’ Secondary School, Gżira, who took up the offer with great enthusiasm.
Suffice to say that such a project is an administrative feat in itself, and it is to the school’s credit that they managed to mobilise students and staff on this project. They divided the school into eight working groups, with each group responsible for a different aspect of the project, from planning, to design and set-building.
The project was also structured so it caused no disruption to the syllabus. Speaking to Simone Attard, an assistant head at the school, she emphasised that the project actually strengthened the curriculum.
Speaking to some of the boys backstage before the performance, I can agree fully. It is not every day that you meet teenage boys willing to take up the violin, or even a craft.
Frans Gauci, the school’s resident art teacher, teamed up with English artist Derek Nice and musician Sarah Spiteri, to help guide the students throughout the project. Throughout the whole project they were enthusiastically helped by the teachers and administration.
Once the project planning was over, the team went to work on the set. It consisted of a castle out of which several characters and puppets come out. Amazingly, everything was made out of recycled material.
Towards the end of the project some students were selected to work on the performance which consisted of choreographed movements with puppets and costumes. It was very brave of the students, most of whom had never been on stage before, to work with a professional orchestra and to face an audience.
Surprisingly, the project drew a lot of support and enthusiasm from the orchestra members themselves.
Led by Christopher Muscat, they not only provided the music but also the necessary moral support and encouragement. During rehearsals, they even applauded after each scene.
The performance itself was visually stimulating. Most of the puppets were not only gigantic, but also extremely mobile. Most impressive was perhaps Baba Yaga, the witch from Russian folklore. Of course, it would be unfair to expect professional acting and choreography, but it would be just as unfair to label this a ‘student production’.
This project has set a new benchmark for educational outreach. The project’s merits lie in the fact that it struck the right balance between a student production and a professional one. One sincerely hopes that this project will serve as a catalyst for more outreach programmes.