A SARDINE-packed cathedral saw one of the best children's entertainments to come along in a long time.
The popular picture book illustrated by Sheffield's Lynne Chapman, story by Jamie Rix, is certainly enhanced by the music lavished on it by Paul Rissmann, though how many of the younger members of the audience appreciated the enhancement is open to c
onjecture.
The three added musical battles in the rock rounders section of the story – the highest-sounding instrument, clarinet or piccolo; lowest, bassoon or double bass; the one that could hold the longest note, violin or horn, seemed to spark the imagination of the prevailing number of tots present.
Ensemble 360 had a ball, facially reacting to the story, especially Sara Bitlloch, the wind players joining in the 'welcome song' while the strings accompanied it, all 11 donning baseball caps for the rock rounders, and they had highly attractive, substantial music to play to boot.
The 'Big Country' music depicting goats on the mountainside captured this kid's imagination, as did Naomi Atherton's understated heroic horn call when Giddy is transformed from coward to hero as he bounds off to rescue Edmund the sheep.
The excellent Polly Ives narrated the story with cool professionalism and there was much involved interaction between performance and audience. Witness the young voice that came in with a late 'whee' after everyone else had got the tea tray-tobogganing Giddy down the mountain to ground level.
In short, a giddy time was had by all and the good news is the musical adventure will be heard again, around the country next season, and at Ensemble 360's Christmas Concert in December.
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