On Wednesday, we were delighted to welcome to school Pete Churchill, our Jazz Music Fellow this year, for a day of workshops with various groups of boys who learn a wind, brass or percussion instrument, as well as those who have singing lessons.
Pete Churchill has been working as a composer, pianist, singer and teacher for almost 30 years. He is currently Professor of Jazz Composition at the Royal Academy of Music, and he also runs the jazz choir at Trinity College of Music. His visit during the Creative Arts Festival was perfectly timed, as he had the chance to rehearse with the Jazz Orchestra ahead of their Evening of Jazz in the Quarry Theatre tomorrow night. Another workshop was devoted to the New Jazz Collective, who will also be appearing on stage at the Quarry Theatre on Friday.
During a session in the morning dedicated to jazz singing, boys learnt the jazz piece I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free, written by American musician Billy Taylor in 1963, and a few years later made famous by Nina Simone. Accompanying them on the piano, Pete taught the boys by ear, no sheet music in sight. He divided them into three voice parts, with the tenors singing the melody for the most part, the higher voices singing the harmony and the basses forming the rhythm section. Boys were reminded of the importance of knowing their voice part’s function within the piece, using articulation to bring the words to life, and blending with the other voices. Pete told the group that in gospel groups, every singer learns everything, so that the parts can switch around to change the texture of the music. The boys were also taught about the solfege system, a group of hand signs used to signal the notes of a chromatic scale – extremely useful when learning a piece without the notes in front of you!
Mr Dom Childs, Head of Woodwind & Brass, commented, “Pete’s inspirational, unique and energetic style had an immeasurably positive effect on the pupils he worked with throughout the day. He is a fountain of knowledge and has experienced playing and teaching at the very top level, all of which leads to the pupils with whom he works developing their skills, aural awareness and musicianship within a short space of time. For the school to have an association with musicians such as Pete is a huge privilege.”
Pete will be appearing as a special guest with the Jazz Orchestra at the Evening of Jazz on Friday 5 July, and there are still some seats remaining, which can be booked via the Quarry Theatre website.
