The second Saturday and Sunday in September can only mean one thing in London: The Mayor's Thames Festival.
This event has been running now I think for some 10 years or so - maybe more, I don't really know - but we've been involved with it on and off at CEBS since I think 2000. We did 3 years or so on our own, as a cross-curricular project, but stopped after the third year, not because of the girls, but rather because of their fan club. You see, we were supposed to be performing in carnival, not trying to stop one happen, with our girl's friends trying to muscle in on the action (read: boyfriends trying to get up close and nasty 'dancing' with their girlfriends who were dressed in skimpy, colourful costumes) - and with girls who were too busy dancing as opposed to actually playing their instruments. But in that last year we'd had a company, Kinetika, take over the costume making - and as the guy they'd brought in to the do the music was rubbish, my colleague Mat had to take over. Kinetika were so impressed they took him on as musical director, and ever since then, they've run a Summer school for 2 weeks over the summer preparing for not only the Thames Festival but now other carnivals up and down the country. It's good for CEBS, as our girls spend a couple of weeks on their holidays practising their instruments, and good for Kinetika as they get to use our premises sometimes. And good for me and Erik, as we get invited to perform in the procession with them - without having to practise or having to be responsible for our kids. Win-win situation for everyone.
Anyway, this year is I think the 1st year in a 5 year or so project with Kinetika (although I think they used the theme before, well, at least it's slogan, but have now formulated it properly). The theme of the project is "Imagination: Our Nation", and this year was 'Germination: Sowing the Seeds for the Future'. Next year is Fascination, then Pollination, Illumination and finally in 2012, Imagination. It all looks really good.
So this year Mat arranged music based on English folk music coupled with Caribbean favourites such as "Three Little Birds", "The Israelites" and "My Boy Lollipop", harking back to the Afro-Caribbean heritage of London, and Lambeth in particular. The music was really cleverly arranged, with funky beats by the drummers and cool riffs by the tubas and bari sax.
Anyway, Erik and I got to go along, even though we didn't really know the music, and take part in the procession yet again. I've lost count now how many times I've done that procession, but each year it just gets bigger and bigger - with over 2000 performers taking part. It's now spread out over 2 days, with a multitude of events along the river - our school Jazz band (plus yours truly) played at Hibernia Wharf on Saturday in a mini-Jazz festival - which was such an honour. The kids played really well and I was very proud.
But the night procession is really what the Thames Festival is all about. The atmosphere is just electric, right from the start, when we all leave the RFH and cross the bridge over to Embankment - playing all the way - and then wandering past all the bands, dancers and puppeteers who have already taken their place in the procession and are playing through a few numbers whilst waiting - its soooo loud, but soooo exciting! Finally we get into our position and start running through our grooves too... Then we get a visit from the Mayor (this time Boris Johnson, who stopped off for a few pics with the kids too), the sun sets, and the party kicks off! The procession takes easily 2 hours or more, as we walk up the Embankment, up to Blackfriars bridge, across the river and back to the RFH via 'Upper Ground'. There's a few spots en route where Mat likes to stop us, namely whenever we go under any bridge, because then, with 100 odd drummers playing, plus the brass - the decibel levels are through the roof, and he just loves to hear it all mesh together with the acoustics of the bridge.
And when we finally finish the procession, there's a huge display of fireworks in front of the RFH, just capping the whole thing off...
... A fab time, but boy am I knackered now...
Anyway, here's some pics - apologies for the poor quality, but when you're processing for 3 hours or so with a tenor saxophone, you can only bring what you can carry on you - so there was no point in bringing a fancy camera when I have my phone with me anyway...
No comments:
Post a Comment