After two hundred years of scrutiny of his life and work, John Clare speaks his mind.  Acclaimed writer Stephen Plaice and composer Julian Philips combine forces to create an intimate and deeply moving portrait of the poet that celebrates the extraordinary power and fertility of his work and brings us closer to the man who loved the limelight, yet longed to return to the chair by the fire in his Northamptonshire home. In this very special single performance at Bush Hall, Toby Jones plays John Clare.  

Creative Team

Writer  – Stephen Plaice

Composer   – Julian Philips

Director – Caroline Clegg

Project Lead & Research – Simon Kövesi

Costume – Alexa Moore

Musicians – Goldfield Ensemble

Producer   – Kate Romano

Read more about Professor Simon Kövesi’s 2020 John Clare project and the ideas behind the production here:

The Fallen Elm is kindly supported by Oxford Brookes University, Arts Council England and The John Clare Society.

Tickets available at

www.bushhallmusic.co.uk

Box Office 0208 222 6955 

Music for string quartet Ravel, Stravinsky and Grainger performed by the Goldfield Ensemble
Find out about the man who thought birds migrated to the moon, the crows who brought gifts to a 10 year old girl and the greatest pigeon hero of the Second World War! The Goldfield Ensemble weave their trademark mix of storytelling and live music for string trio and percussion with simple shadow puppetry to bring three remarkable (and true!) stories to our younger audiences. You’ll never hear or look at a bird in the same way again…

‘Simply outstanding – it made me re-think how we can tell stories’(Westfield Primary School)
‘My children couldn’t stop talking about it when we went back to our classroom.. all the children were engaged, interested and enthralled by the stories, puppetry and music…. you grabbed their attention, caught their imaginations and held them with great timing, action and of course the amazing music’
(Steeple Morden Primary School)
‘We were hugely impressed with the Goldfield Ensemble…The children (and adults) were entranced by the experience and I found that the standard of playing and storytelling just astonishing. Even the youngest (still 4 years old) were glued to the concert.’
(Foxton Primary School)

‘beautiful, thoughtful, mesmeric, funny and what wonderful music…what a terrific and imaginative way to tell stories with music and it appealed to all of our children from year 1 to year 6’
(Great Staughton Primary School)

Tour dates: 20th March – 23rd March 2017

Barrington C of E Primary School
Meldreth Primary School
Great Staughton Primary Academy

Steeple Morden Primary School
Foxton Primary School
Trumpington Meadows Primar School

Leverington Primary Academy
St Peters C of E Primary School
Bar Hill Community School

Ely St Johns Community Primary School
Lantern Primary School
Westfield Primary School

Over 2500 children experienced Three Stories About Birds in 2017….here’s what they thought!

‘That was the best show ever – I wish I could turn back time and see it again!’
‘I’m going to start the violin and I’m going to make some puppets and write some stories…’
‘I really liked the bird sounds. I loved the story of pigeon Joe the best – it was so funny!’
‘I loved the stories – and the music was so beautiful..it made me sad and jumpy and happy’
‘Please come again soon’
Our youngest audiences | Cambridgeshire Schools

‘astonishing….exceeded all expectations…..simply magical’
‘the children were buzzing….I’ve never seen them so animated…’
‘Thank you so much for your amazing visit! The children and adults all absolutely loved the show – the puppets and the music – and learnt so much too’
Orchard Park Primary School

Written, produced and narrated by Kate Romano

Performed by Goldfield Ensemble

Repertoire includes extracts from:
Beethoven String Quartet no 1 op 18
Beethoven 9th Symphony (arranged for string quartet)
Beethoven: Quasi una fantasia arranged for Toy Piano and string quartet
Delibes: Waltz from Coppelia (arranged for string quartet)
Haydn: Trumpet concerto 3rd mvt (arranged for string quartet and kazoo)
Beethoven: Wellington Victory

Over 2250 children saw The Musc Box in 2016 and 2017:
Orchard Park Community Primary School – 10th March 2016
Fordham Primary School – 11th March 2016
Castle School, Cambridge – 11th March 2016
Abbey Meadows, Cambridge – 17th March 2016
Little Paxton Primary School, Cambs – 17th March 2016
Littleport Community Primary School, Ely – 18th March 2016
Burrowmoor School, March – 18th March 2016
Stapleford Granary, Cambridge – 18th February 2017 & Heaton Hall, Manchester – 17 April 2017

“Absolutely magical….. Thank you so much for the opportunity to have live music come to Eynesbury and Brampton this week. The children loved it and the Goldfield Ensemble pitched their concert really well to the children and kept their attention throughout“
Head of Music | Brampton Primary School

The story was told with props including paper birds, a 5 foot paper tree and a newspaper ‘forest’ that grows to the music of John Adams and Philip Glass (string quartets). The music was selected to fit with the BBC Ten Pieces 2015. Children were asked in advance to make simple shakers and percussion instruments in order to join the Ensemble and become the voice of the ‘inventions’.

The Paper Forest was performed 10 times to 2000 children:

2015 Tour
23rd March 2015: Willington Primary, Cambridge
23rd March 2015: Ridgefield School, Cambridge
24th March 2015: Exning Primary, Newmarket
24th March 2015: Burrough Green Primary, Newmarket
24th March 2015: Downham Feoffees, Cambs
25th March 2015: Alderman Payne Parimary, Wisbeach
25th march 2015: Heritage Park, Peterborough
27th March 2015: Brampton Primary, Huntgindon
27th March 2015: Bridgeton Primary, Huntingdon
27th March 2015: Waterbeach Primary, Waterbeach

‘You and your musicians thrilled and amazed the schools in which you played. There was a lot of careful preparation in this thoughtful and very moving piece’
Lin Hetherington | Cambridgeshire Music
‘That was so lively, compelling and relevant to our work here at the school….it really exceeded all our expectations’
Suzy Howden | Cottenham Primary School

Written, directed and narrated by Kate Romano

Musical extracts performed by the Goldfield Ensemble
William Alwyn: String Trio
Gerald Finzi: 5 Bagatelles for clarinet and strings
Herbert Howells: Rhapsodic Quintet
Its a Long Way to Tipperary (arr. for strings)

2014 Tour

Stapleford Granary – 11 November 2014
Teversham Primary School – 5 December 2014
Stapleford Community Primary School – 4 December 2014
Queen Edith School – 4 December 2014
Cottenham Primary School – 2 December 2014
St Laurence School – 2 December 2014