Carillon

Located within the grounds of Queen’s Park, Loughborough, there is a Second World War Memorial. This impressive structure incorporates the Carillon, a rare musical device which comprises of a set of bells that are sounded from a large keyboard. We aimed to further young peoples’ respect and understanding of the Carillon as an important landmark in Loughborough. Using the tower as a focus, the project also raised issues of war and conflict in a contemporary context. Alongside the education work and community performance, I was commissioned by the council to compose an original piece for this unique instrument.

Over eighty pupils from four schools worked with myself and Liz Clark, a community dance artist, and we ran a series of workshops over a two-month time period. The dance element of the performance was created during these workshops. Liz and I applied to and were awarded an Awards for All lottery grant and were also funded by Charnwood Borough Council.

The final performance drew on the experiences of local community members’ memories of the Second World War. I collected their stories and used these as a stimulus for the music composition. I integrated samples of the womens’ voices and fused them with an original composition for the Carillon bells. These women played an integral part in the project by linking and liaising with the children and young people who were involved in the performance.