The British Paraorchestra, live at Unlimited Festival
Never mind the Paralympics, this is the Paraorchestra. The musicians and conductor Charles Hazlewood made their London debut at the Southbank Centre, with Dame Evelyn Glennie and the Marc Brew Company, recognising and showcasing disabled musicians with extraordinary abilities.
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1. Dame Evelyn Glennie and the Marc Brew Company
Performing virtuosic percussion with the energetic dancers from Marc Brew Company, Dame Evelyn Glennie is a well known champion of disabled musicians.
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2. Dame Evelyn Glennie takes a bow
Profoundly deaf since the age of 12, Dame Evelyn plays barefoot so she can hear the vibrations of the music better. Here she takes a bow with one of the Marc Brew Company.
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3. Charles Hazelwood introduces the British Paraorchestra
Founder of the British Paraorchestra, Charles Hazlewood introduces the players. "The best thing about being here is that every person has mentioned music, and has not mentioned disability once," he said. "We think of Handel the musician not the blind man, or Beethoven the composer, not Beethoven the deaf man."
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4. An interpreter signs Charles Hazlewood's introduction
As the text shines up on the screen behind, an interpreter signs Charles' speech so everyone in the audience could be touched by his important message.
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5. Charles Hazelwood interviews Clarence Adoo
Clarence Adoo was one of the UK’s top trumpeters before he was left paralysed in a car crash. Now he plays the Headspace instrument, controlled by his breath, and says he 'feels like a musician again'.
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6. Charles Hazelwood talks to Rolf Gehaar
Rolf Gehaar (right), along with trumpeter Clarence Adoo, is one of the pioneers of the Headspace instrument.
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7. Takashi Kikuchi, viola
Royal Academy of Music graduate Takashi Kikushi tunes up his viola. "I'm very pleased to find my new possibilities in the Paraorchestra," he said. "I'm now confident as an ensemble player and an individual."
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8. The British Paraorchestra
The diverse range of instruments in the British Paraorchestra include a sitar, Macbook, harp, trombone, and recorder, among others.
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9. Nicholas McCarthy, piano
Left-handed pianist Nicholas McCarthy takes a bow with his British Paraorchestra colleagues.
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10. Computer music in the British Paraorchestra
It's not just violins and pianos - the players make music using the Logic Pro on their computers or iPads.
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11. Abi Baker, violin
Multi-talented instrumentalist Abi Baker is primarily a pianist, and has studied at the Royal College of Music for nine years. On stage, she plays the violin. She is totally blind but has perfect pitch, so is able to learn the music off by heart after hearing it.
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12. Swapping instruments in the British Paraorchestra
Many of the players are trained in more than one instrument, and swap between them to create different timbres in the music.
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13. The British Paraorchestra
The musicians take popular tunes, including Ravel's Bolero and Greensleeves, and put their own spin on it. The musicians are so attuned to one another that a lot of their music comes from improvisation.
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14. Modern sounds with the British Paraorchestra
Using violins to make a percussive sound and playing electric instruments - the British Paraorchestra bring all their repertoire firmly up to date by adding their own unique musical input.
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15. Baluji Shrivastav with the British Paraorchestra
Baluji Shrivastav plays the sitar, surbahar and dilruba He's played with Stevie Wonder, Dario Marionelli, Massive Attack and Annie Lennox.
