Panda Project
As many of you will know, two beautiful pandas, Tian Tian and Yang Guang, have taken up residence in Edinburgh Zoo. We at Children's Classic Concerts wanted to give the furry pair a big welcome, so in partnership with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and with the help of Creative Scotland we have commissioned Scotland's very own Eddie McGuire to compose a very special piece to celebrate their arrival and commemorate this important new bond between Scotland and China.
Eddie McGuire is a well-known, highly respected and award-winning composer whose work embraces both classical and traditional Scottish music. He has strong links with China, having worked in the country and drawn inspiration from its traditions. He also performs regularly with the Harmony Chinese Music Ensemble. For the Panda Suite and Song Eddie worked in collaboration with Fong Liu, a Chinese musician who lives and works in Glasgow. She introduced Eddie to the style of folk melody that comes from Sichuan province where the pandas come from. Eddie then developed his musical ideas based on some of these traditional themes. Fong Liu wrote the Chinese words for the song and Eddie wrote the English ones - with a touch of Scots! So we can safely say that the whole project is an example of successful Scottish/Chinese collaboration.
Eddie has created the piece to be performed by 2 solo percussionists and solo flute, so that the first performances can be given by Eddie himself on flute and by our own fabulous artistic directors and presenters, percussionists Owen and Olly. Although the piece has been written for the handover ceremony and will be featured on the panda pages of the Zoo's website, it will be performed live at Children's Classic Concerts in the coming months and we are sure that it will become a firm favourite with our audiences!
Update: Panda Suite and Song was premiered at our Bang On! concert in Stirling on Sunday 29th April 2012, and will be performed again at Shake, Rattle & Roll in Glasgow in June. For more details of that concert, click here.
Here are some great pictures of the project so far!
Olly and Eddie with the RSNO Junior Chorus who sang wonderfully on the recording...
Olly going for it in the recording studio...
Eddie demonstrating some serious flute skills at the Henry Wood Hall...
Eddie and engineer extraordinaire Robin Rankin in the studio...
Eddie and Olly are happy after a hard day's work!
The Pandas treated us to a lovely little dance routine during the premiere of the piece... ending in a big furry hug. Awwww!
