Scottish Ensemble's 'Carnival'

April - June 2004

Fulfilling one of its long-standing ambitions, between April and June 2004 the Scottish Ensemble was proud to present the innovative ‘Carnival’ project, offering children throughout Scotland a world-class performance and creative experience. 

The ‘Carnival’ project took its inspiration from Saint-Saën’s much-loved Carnival of the Animals and was devised and presented by Scottish Ensemble Education Director and award-winning animateur Paul Rissmann.

The project involved a series of hands-on music-making workshops in schools for children and culminated in an hour long Children’s Concert based on Saint-Saën’s Carnival of the Animals in four venues across Scotland.  A specially produced film projection of real and animated images, created by visual artist Victor Craven of 10to1 Productions was shown alongside the concert performances of the piece.

The hour-long, interactive concert not only featured Carnival of the Animals but also a specially devised participation piece entitled Bamboozled! composed especially for children by Paul Rissmann, enabling the children to perform with the Scottish Ensemble.  No musical expertise, or instruments, were required to take part as the piece was simply a combination of singing, rapping and body percussion.

Participating schools included:

Dumfries	Ullapool	Aboyne
Kelloholm Primary	Ullapool Primary	Kincardin O'Neil Primary
Penpont Primary	Achiltibuie Primary	Aboyne Primary
Sanquhar Primary	Badcaul Primary	Finzean Primary
	Stoer Primary	Torphins Primary
	Scourie Primary	Lumphanan Primary
	Durness Primary
	Kinlochbervie Primary
	Ullapool High

Concert performances were given at:

• Perth Festival of the Arts, Perth City Halls
• Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival, Easterbrook Hall, Dumfries
• Macphail Centre, Ullapool
• Deeside Theatre, Aboyne

For more information about the Scottish Ensemble or about the Carnival project visit the Scottish Ensemble website.