Confluence

Composing Workshops

In early 1999 Karen Wimhurst held a series of composing workshops in Wincanton. Over six weeks a group of people, from complete newcomers, to experienced amateur songwriters, were encouraged to come up with ideas for pieces of music inspired by the river. Whether a hummed tune or a scored piece, Karen helped develop the works both in group sessions and one to one. In this she was helped by Watershed, a chamber trio she brought together specifically for Confluence. The group comprises Karen on clarinets, Chas Dickie on 'cello and David Miles on double bass (the original line-up included Stan Adler on 'cello and Chas on bass). Their aim has been firstly, to be on hand to help the development of ideas in composing workshops, and secondly to give concerts of music from across the spectrum inspired by water, from jazz to classical, ragas to rock. These concerts also give first performances of the new works written as part of the workshops.

Watershed's role in workshops is very significant: they are able to demonstrate to the new composers the wide variety of playing techniques possible, and help them to develop their ideas by playing them through and offering valuable advice.

The introductory session was split into two parts. The first was an analysis of a variety of dance music, designed to show simple musical devices such as repetition, colour and orchestration, definition of musical ideas etc. The second half of the class looked at ways in which water transforms the landscape and creates its path through the environment. The group finished off with a demonstration of how Southern Indian dance imitates water through the use of the hands and body shape. The session as a whole was designed to give people a way into composition and connecting with flowing water through use of the voice, the body and the intellect.

People went about their compositions in various ways. Mike Kynock and Sue Green spent time by the River Cale, looking at the flow of water, drawing and making notes and using these to spark off their compositions. Rebecca Langford wrote a surreal poem, which inspired a lot of experimentation with musical colour. As a songwriter, Mike Durkee also started off with a spoken narrative but this seems to be fading into the background as the possibilities of the instruments become more apparent.

Karen says: "Getting complete beginners to dare to write a piece of music involves some persuasion but as the project rolled down the valley people took part in various events and then felt more able to take the leap. With complete beginners, intensive one to one tuition enables good quality composition to emerge, which they can call their own. People also seem to be enticed in over a period of time rather than all attending a course from the beginning.

Everyone chose to write individual pieces and a wide variety of ages and abilities were represented in the group. Having musicians on hand to try out your ideas offers a steep learning curve in which the individual can really understand what it means to write for live musicians. It's a hands-on approach highlighting the craft element involved in understanding the instrument, as well as the aesthetic sensibility you are aiming for.

Once someone has taken the plunge and joined the class, one-to-one support allows them to develop their ideas with confidence. With complete beginners I will try and help them discover their style and thoughts whether that is through singing, humming, tapping out rhythmic ideas, whatever seems appropriate. I then collaborate to really flesh out the piece, posing questions, asking them to develop certain parts, helping with harmonic structure etc. At the end of the day I will give them enough technical support to make the piece successful but still clearly retaining it as their own individual work. For people with more experience, individual sessions can be about particular problem areas in their composition, orchestration, presentation of score and parts or just general hand-holding, giving enough confidence for someone to follow their ideas through.

The wide variety of ideas coming to the class provides really interesting evenings. In an atmosphere of collaborative, mutual support, people learn a lot from listening to other people's music, the type of technical problems these raise for the musicians etc. In an ideal situation I would have liked time to work on a couple of group compositions but the class was too big to allow this. We were fully stretched developing the individual works".

Sue Langford, a mother of four from Mere says of her participation in the workshops "A few months ago, I would have said 'compose? No way!', but highest praise to Karen for drawing out the pictures in my head, and to David and Chas for interpreting them as a real piece of music. I had no idea I could do this and I would like to say thank you to everyone for giving me the confidence to see it through. It has been a real privilege working with Confluence".

The success of the Wincanton sessions prompted further work in Shaftesbury, culminating in an entertaining concert in the town before Christmas of 1999. More workshops followed in Blandford, as Confluence moved downstream. The theme of riverside birds was adopted, linking in with work Karen was preparing for Watershed to play after a dawn chorus walk on May Day 2000 at Springhead, Fontmell Magna. Work in Wimborne also took a theme, this time of healing wells, as their starting point as part of the series of work leading towards Well Being, the Confluence concert linking music and water with health at Gaunt's House near Wimborne in December 2000.

Many of the pieces to emerge from workshops across the catchment were performed in December of 2000 in a magical concert given at the church of St Bartholomew, beside the river in Shapwick, near Wimborne. The river was in flood at the time, and it was touch and go whether the concert would go ahead, but those who braved the elements were not disappointed.

Watershed performed a selection of music from the workshops at The Confluence, the final concert of the project, in 2001 at Christchurch Priory.