The Welcome project
Welcome is a musical piece which was composed for the Federation Handbells as part of Arts Victoria’s support for the Federation Handbells access program.
It sounds like a forest in the middle of the night…almost magicalStudent, Blackburn High School
Background
Museums Victoria commissioned Steve Falk to compose a piece for the Federation Handbells that would bring together performers of various levels of musical ability and provide a meaningful musical experience for musicians and non-musicians alike.
Steve met this challenge beautifully and has created a piece that can be rehearsed and performed as a secondary school music project or by community groups at music festivals or other public events.
Welcome was invited to open the 2013 Sounds Great! Victorian Music Education Conference and to prepare for this event Museums Victoria worked with Musical Director Stephen Hardie and students from Blackburn High School.
During rehearsals Stephen noted what a worthwhile experience it had been for the students, both those with high levels of musical skill and those less experienced. "The ensemble part created an opportunity for those players to be actively involved in listening and making an assessment of the sound world that’s being created and what they can do to contribute to that. That's actually something from a musical point of view that students quite often don’t experience... and indeed a lot of professionals don't experience it... either."
The world premiere of Welcome, performed by Steve Falk and the Blackburn High School students, was received with great enthusiasm and delight by all in attendance at the Sounds Great! Conference in July 2013 at Arts Centre Melbourne.