'Oiseaux Exotiques' Take Off at Sheringham in June

The Britten Sinfonia chamber orchestra brings a bird-themed concert to the North Norfolk coast next month, to round off this season's musical events under the wing of the TAKE OFF project.

Messiaen's Oiseaux Exotiques (meaning 'exotic birds') will be the highlight of a full orchestral concert by the Britten Sinfonia at 7.30pm on Friday, 11 June, at St Peter's Church in Sheringham, conducted by Nicholas Daniel, and with pianist Rolf Hind.

The concert also includes works by Purcell (Funeral Music for Queen Mary), John Woolrich (Ariadne Laments), Francaix (Hommage a l'Ami Papageno) and Ravel (Mother Goose Suite), bringing to life a chattering, colourful, and cherished set of creatures and characters.

Tickets are £12 (£3 for under-18s), available from the box office at the Sheringham Little Theatre (01263 822347).

Musicians from the Britten Sinfonia will also play a free, informal lunchtime concert at the Little Theatre's Hub Café from 1.15pm to 2pm on Saturday, 5 June. Pauline Lowbury (violin), Martin Outram (viola) and Caroline Dearnley (cello) will perform pieces including Schubert's Trio in Bb major D471. This concert was previously advertised as being at Cromer's Pavilion Theatre.

The TAKE OFF initiative, to which these two concerts belong, is run by North Norfolk District Council in association with the Britten Sinfonia, with the support of Creative Partnerships Norfolk, Eastern Orchestral Board and Norfolk County Council's Music Education and Arts Services, and with local composer Jane Wells as artistic director.

TAKE OFF, which launched in September 2003, is a three-year programme of workshops and concerts for schools and the local community, involving not only the Britten Sinfonia but other local musicians and visual artists as well. It is aimed at developing new audiences for music, including orchestral music, particularly among younger people.

This season's theme of birds and flight was inspired by the North Norfolk coast - a famed haven for rare and fascinating birds.

ENDS