In 2014 sound, Woodend Barn and Red Note Ensemble commissioned a new work from composer Stephen Montague for the PRS for Music Foundation’s New Music Biennial. Three Fables (Tales from the Commonwealth) is a children’s work for 6 musicians (from Red Note Ensemble) and narrator (Crawford Logan) based on 3 tales from Commonwealth Countries which were rewritten by award-winning playwright Zinnie Harris. Two of the tales were sent by children from Uganda and India with the participation of development charity SCIAF, and the third was a new story from Scotland written for this project by Zinnie Harris.
Following its premiere performance at Woodend Barn in Banchory the work toured to the South Bank Centre in London and Glasgow as part of the 2014 Commonwealth Games celebrations. The work was also broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and recorded by NMC Records.
sound developed a schools project linking with this commission. The project encouraged participants to engage with their local area and to consider and explore cultures from other members of the commonwealth through storytelling and music.
Over several workshop sessions, pupils from from Durris School worked with composer Ross Whyte to create new works which were performed at a special concert at the end of the project where the pupils also had the opportunity to see a performance of Three Fables.
This project was delivered as part of Aberdeenshire Council's Youth Music Initiative Formula Fund programme.
Three Fables from Sound Festival on Vimeo.
