Chetham's first Cultural, Educational and Community Project was Antarctica. Bringing together the beauty, mystery and knowledge of the Antarctic, and it's incredible stories of human endeavour Antarctica spanned the whole autumn term of 2001 and saw students from around the region coming together to bring life to the subject through the mediums of music, art and drama.
Click here to view the Antarctica Project brochure online.
Antarctica Project highlights included:
Antarctic Art Workshops
Led by landscape artist Mike Haworth students worked to create pieces reflecting the subject matter that were then displayed in an exhibition at the Royal Northern College of Music.
Everest to Antarctica- A Life of Adventure
A lecture by Stephen Venables, mountaineer, explorer and writer.
Composers’ Workshops
Dr Jeremy Pike, Head of Composition at Chetham's, was joined by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies who worked with students in bringing to life their musical responses to the Project.
World Premiere
Chetham's Symphony Orchestra gave the world premiere of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies work High on the Slopes of Terror, which was his first musical response to his trip to the Antarctic prior to working on his Antarctica Symphony, as part of the National Association of Youth Orchestras Festival in Edinburgh.
Above - 'High on the Slopes of Terror' by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, World Premiere performance by Chetham's Symphony Orchestra
Sinfonia Antartica
Vaughan Williams' Sinfonia Antartica was given a full performance by the Chetham's Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in a new dramatised version featuring excerpts of Scott's diary narrated by Alan Williams.
Above - 'Vaughan Williams Sinfonia Antartica' - performed by Chetham's Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
