PIRATE ADVENTURES

Sinfonia Viva at the Civic Theatre

27.04.08

Any excuse to dress up in bandanas and eye-patches, let their hair down and make Jim-Lad noises. And that's just the band ...

The youngsters in the audience looked the part too, with at least one parrot on the shoulder.

Alasdair Molloy, who arranged most of the music, was a great host, encouraging us to participate and explaining the pieces.

Not only Klaus Bedelt's music for Pirates of the Caribbean, but Yellow Submarine, Sailing By and Never on Sunday.

I enjoyed the cross-cut Tritsch-Tratsch Polka, with all the instruments highlighted, Thunder and Lightning done as a concerto for cymbals and bass drum, and the Seafaring Specials, tunes to guess as the instrumentalists filed in after the interval – I think that was Jaws on the double bass ...

The kids who'd done the linked schools workshop led the community singing of Jamaican Rumba, and we ended with Tom Bowling on the cello, and an action-packed Hornpipe.

This brilliant concert, sponsored by M&G, was a superb introduction to the totally unstuffy world of great music. Can't wait for next year's themed concert – Dr Who, maybe ?