The summer of 1945 was one of celebration. All over the country, communities came together on VE (Victory in Europe) Day to mark the moment with street parties and dances, but it was also a period of contemplation. Whilst many rejoiced at the prospect of peace, years of air raids, rationing, hunger and displacement had been hard. During this project, our team led by Cat Foley, Nancy Hitzig and Annette Walker, took inspiration from this time period as well as from blue plaques commemorating Jazz musicians, dancers and singers who lived through the Second World War, such as Ronnie Scott and Elisabeth Welch. Following in the footsteps of these trailblazers, Young Music Makers created their own solo and ensemble artistic responses, and considered how the implications of the end of WW2 are reflected in society, heritage and history today.
Feel That Rhythm
In the autumn of 2020, we worked with Young Music Makers on Feel That Rhythm, an exciting jazz dance and music project commemorating the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
Live performance
On Saturday the 5th December 2020 we streamed a live performance of our final piece – Covid restrictions did not stop us! You can still watch it on the Young Music Makers Facebook Page .
After meeting in person for our first session, on 17th October 2020, Lockdown 2 forced Cat, Nancy and Annette to move our sessions online. However, using video chat, we were able to improvise, play and learn a brand new piece of jazz music composed by Misha Mullov-Abbado. We also explored how to play music for and with dancers and learned the fundamental rhythms, structures and shapes of jazz-era dances.
“This project enabled our students to look at heritage in the wider context of WW2 and community. We are thrilled our students were able to take part in this project and we are very proud of how they engaged with it, even as covid restrictions took them online for the majority of the workshop sessions.”
Young Music Makers is a Saturday music centre for the whole family that believes in inclusive access to music education for all. In operation since 1967, the school boasts 39 different ensembles and has a strong focus on performance.