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TX: 11.07.07 - Twinkle

PRESENTER: LIZ BARCLAY
THE ATTACHED TRANSCRIPT WAS TYPED FROM A RECORDING AND NOT COPIED FROM AN ORIGINAL SCRIPT. BECAUSE OF THE RISK OF MISHEARING AND THE DIFFICULTY IN SOME CASES OF IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUAL SPEAKERS, THE Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ CANNOT VOUCH FOR ITS COMPLETE ACCURACY.


BARCLAY
A new musical concerto called Twinkle will be performed this evening by a group of physically disabled children at the Basingstoke Anvil. It's been specially composed for the pupils of Treloar School in Hampshire and explores the stories behind the forming of the constellations, as told in Greek myths and legends. The children can't hold conventional musical instruments so they'll be playing sound beams, which are invisible rays that convert into sounds and switches which are buttons that make pre-programmed sounds when pressed. They'll be joined by pupils from other local schools for the event and Mani Djazmi sat in on the first full rehearsal.

IZZY
There are three stories and it's about the constellations of the stars. The first one is about Orion, who's a hunter and he shoots loads of animals and he gets attacked by a scorpion and then the gods turn him into stars. The second one's about Cetus, who's a sea monster, and eats loads of people and then the gods turn him into stars. And the third one's about a boy called Phyton who wants to ride the sun chariot like his dad and he rides the sun chariot and it all gets messed up and everything and he gets turned into stars.

DJAZMI
Thirteen-year-old Izzy. The Twinkle project is the brainchild of rock musician David Jackson, who's best known for his days as saxophonist in the band Van der Graaf Generator. The band's former drummer, Judge Smith, has written the lyrics for Twinkle. For David Jackson helping disabled children realise what they're capable of is a passion.

JACKSON
This is the title song of Twinkle, it's a very syncopated power rock song, it is not Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

MUSIC

Some of them it is such an effort to get that hand to do what they want it to do and to get on that button and hold it there. And the whole show is hanging on that button. The sound beams play cymbals and timpani.

DJAZMI
So I'm just moving my hand sideways from right to left, in and out of the field of the sound beam and just getting individual notes. To me it feels like my hand is in exactly the same place as it was before but listen to this, it clearly isn't.

JACKSON
In the case at the moment there are 50 notes in 57 centimetres, so each note is about a centimetre apart and it's very, very difficult to keep your hand still within the centimetre. You're talking about accuracy of millimetres here and you get it wrong you've got a wrong note. The switches play enormous brass chords. Again it's a very simple part but put that with the saxophones, the bass and the drums and the keyboards and we've got a band here.

DJAZMI
Playing the sound beams and large switches has meant that many of the children who can't hold conventional instruments are able to play music independently for the first time. But Sally Mack, who's one of the music teachers at Treloar School, says that music making has also turned out to be physiotherapeutic.

MACK
As soon as they move through the beam a sound is triggered and as they move along it a sound is triggered, they get that instant feedback and it does encourage them to stretch out and improve their movements and it certainly does help them with their control. A group I worked with in the past when we started, one of them made very little movements, actually played the beam with her feet, but after I suppose about two years of working with it she was using her arm and really controlling and playing the beam and playing a switch at the same time, which I thought was quite incredible.

MATT
The switches are very good. I play a switch and what that do is make a sound like a horse trotting. When Sally points at me I press it down. And then when I lift her hand off I take it off too.

DJAZMI
The likes of Matt and Izzy are being supported by 120 able-bodied children from local schools who are providing the vocals and they had a pretty hectic get to know you session last week.

VOX POPS
I spoke to one Treloar's pupil and we talked about favourite games consoles and favourite jingle songs. I talked to them about like how is it at Treloars and do you get along well.

People in wheelchairs you've got to treat them well otherwise they get a bit annoyed, you just need to like just keep talking to them because I think it feels good for them to talk to someone.

They're not much different from us, apart from they're sat down and they've got some wheels.

MUSIC

DJAZMI
It's finally the night to perform at the theatre, what do you think about that?

MATT
I think everyone be stamping their feet and clapping their hands. Hope we get autographed after the show.

DJAZMI
So are you going to give people your autograph?

MATT
I hope so yes.

MUSIC

MCCLENNON
I'd start practising that now Matt, that's 12-year-old Matt from Treloar's school in Hampshire, talking to Mani Djazmi. And their performance of Twinkle is tonight and it's at the Basingstoke Anvil.

BARCLAY
And if you're there get Matt's autograph for Sheila and me.

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