Tristan Song Project Update
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Tristan da Cunha
- Island of Song -
Report from Tony Triggs
The Tristan Song Project continues to take its inspiration from poems by St Mary’s pupils, which my (mainly) young composers in England turn into songs. Under Jim’s guidance, the poets have sung selections of their songs to cruise ship passengers, and here in Norfolk they’ve recently featured in a Tristan Song Project lecture-recital.
Early this year, the Project received wide coverage in Music Teacher magazine, and I was pleased to receive an unsolicited enquiry from BBC radio regarding the possibility of producing a programme on the Project. Jim and I are hoping that this will come to fruition!
The Project songbook Rockhopper Penguins and Other Songs, published last year, currently features one additional song: From a Grateful Beak. The words are those of a thankful penguin, saved from the Oliva’s oil by the people of Tristan da Cunha. I am still supplying the songbook at £7.50 and at the moment I have a dozen copies of the special ‘Penguin Rescue’ edition with the extra song. See our separate Bookshop Section for details of how to buy the book.
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| Photo of St Mary's School pupils enjoying the guitars provided from funds raised from the Tristan Song Project.
Jim Kerr writes: 'We were delighted to receive five guitars sent from the UK and funded by sales of ‘Rockhopper Penguins and Other Songs’, a book produced in association with the Norfolk Music School.
Enthusiasm for learning to play the guitar is high and when I asked classes 2 to 5 who would like to have lessons, seventeen students showed an interest! I intend to start lessons in the near future and will initially cater for 10 students each sharing one of the new guitars. |
Norfolk Music School
pupil
Bethany Whitaker
singing the song
'From a grateful beak'
in wonderfully appropriate dress!
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A Song Project Garden Party
was held
in Norfolk
on Saturday 6 August
and the Project 'signature song'
"Rockhopper Penguins"
was sung and recorded,
with a view to
making it available
to a BBC producer
who wants to do a programme
on the Project.
Watch this space for details!
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Song Project Christmas Cards
Christmas cards in aid of the Song Project are available post free
at £3.50 for 10 or £9.50 for 30
(envelopes included).
Please make cheques payable to Tony Triggs and send orders to;
Mere House, Brewery Road, Trunch, North Walsham NR28 0PU;
or to order by credit card please ring Music Hut, North Walsham,
on 01692 409716
during business hours.
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For future dispatches, the school has mentioned recorders and keyboards, while another idea is to get some simple accordions called melodeons. The Project will take a big step forwards when an island edition of the songbook appears – something Jim Kerr and Dawn Repetto are working on. It will also get a major boost when the island issues a set of Song Project stamps in 2012/13, while my personal dream is for the songs to come out on CD.
Islanders of any age are welcome to contribute poems to the Project, especially if they’re in regular verses. One never knows which turn of phrase will get people singing!
Tony D Triggs, Norfolk Music School ~ top.note@yahoo.co.uk
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School Articles in Tristan Newsletter
While we endeavour to have a range of pictures and information on the website both 2011 newsletters have included in-depth reports and pictures about St Mary's School from Education Adviser Jim Kerr. These are not available on the website. |
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Administrator Sean Burns
visited the school garden
on 30th September 2010
and sent these images
of St Mary's School pupils
and in the picture on the right
Education Adviser Jim Kerr,
Derek Rogers
and Sean's wife Marina |
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Teacher Caroline Rogers' Retirement Party
On her birthday, 27th May, Caroline Rogers retired. Caroline started teaching at the age of 16 and began full time work at St. Mary’s School in 1963. During most of her career she taught the infant age range and there was a period, when her children were young, that she worked part time or as a supply teacher. Caroline is a popular member of the school team and much loved by staff and pupils especially for her patient and calm nature.
Photo from Jim Kerr shows school staff
Left to Right Back: Sue Kerr, Anne Green, Renee Green, Yvonne Glass, Jim Kerr, Tina Glass and Sheila Glass Front: Marlene Swain, Sharon Glass and Caroline Rogers.
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| Jim Kerr wrote a full school report which appears over three pages with several other photos in the August 2010 Newsletter. |
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Tristan Film Project
Education Adviser Jim Kerr is working with the school children to make a film which it is hoped will be one of the highlights of a forthcoming Tristan da Cunha Film Festival to be held in various UK venues and at a future Tristan da Cunha Association Annual Gathering.
The children are very excited about the project and have been keen to use the equipment which has been provided with funds donated by the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC). The Tristan da Cunha Film Festival is being coordinated by Ray Burnett of the Scottish Small Islands Film Trust in association with Tristan’s Government UK Representative Chris Bates.
Sue Scott, a marine biologist and photographer visiting Tristan, brought wet suits for all the children and on the day that they tested them out in the swimming pool Jim gave them a finepix waterproof camera to try. They enjoyed taking pictures of each other and the results are amusing. A few weeks later Sue took them snorkeling in the rock pools near the harbour where they took turns filming with the ‘flip’ and took more pictures with the finepix. Their filming techniques are improving and Jim believes there are enough steady shots to edit a short clip showing Tristan’s rock pool life. |
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Photos from Jim Kerr
Showing pupils diving
in the swimming pool |
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Children proudly show their iMac and cameras
Left to right – Caryn Green, Jade Repetto, Dean Repetto, Rhyanna Swain, Kimberley Green and Leo Glass.
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The diving group
with Sue Scott,
and right cameras in action
in the rock pools.
We hope to replace these pictures with ones of a higher resolution soon. |
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The day before Sue left a short interview was filmed. Jim helped the children choose some appropriate questions and Riaan Repetto enjoyed posing them. Jim hopes it may be possible to mix some of the rock pool film with the interview.
Jim has talked to the children about topics for filming and they are now considering a wide range of topics for filming including :
· School events
· Conservation and Wildlife
· Visits to Nightingale and Inaccessible
· The fishing industry and the new factory
· Agriculture
· Interviews with elderly people to get a feeling for recent history and change
· Tristan houses
· Government Departments
· Island churches
· 1961 volcano
The project is now reaching an exciting stage and we look forward to publishing news of filming as it is carried out.
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