A book is meant for children and their families, but appreciation came from classical music lovers of all walks of life. A book that actually plays the music its text evokes with a free app that anybody could download for free on their tablet or smartphone and use to play music at a fingertip? Hildegard's O Quam Mirabilis, The Magic flute’s overture, O mio babbino caro, Debussy’s Syrinx, Boulez’s Marteau sans maître: it’s a 90-minute grand concerto spanning ten centuries of music history. Over 100 performances, most 1-minute long. Front row, no booking needed.
Richard Bratby writes about classical music and opera for The Spectator, Gramophone, BBC Music Magazine and The Arts Desk. After starting out as an orchestral cellist and a secondary school history teacher, he worked for 16 years as a member of the Education team at the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, where he founded and ran the CBSO Youth Orchestra – a full symphony orchestra open to young people of all social and educational backgrounds. Passionate about communicating the joy of classical music to all ages and audiences, Richard writes programme notes for the Salzburg Festival, the BBC and many other major promoters, but he’s most proud of the notes he writes for children and young people (from both primary and secondary school age-groups) for the BBC Philharmonic’s “Journey Through Music“ concerts, and the CBSO’s pioneering Family and Schools concerts.
Hardback, 48 pages.
