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Singtastic to launch the first Teignmouth Science Festival on Friday 19 March 2010

It all started on a sunny summer evening, over a drink at the Ship with fellow Community Choir member Mavis. We talked about recent choir events at Forde House, the Carlton Theatre and the carnival marquee and looked forward to singing [behind a screen] in Granny Galactica in November.

We decided it would be good for Teignmouth Community Choir to have a proper concert sometime. Other choir members we bumped into over the summer were also excited by the idea.

I made enquiries about hiring the Carlton Theatre and, finding that Friday 19 March was available, I made a provisional booking. Singtastic agreed to underwrite the event so that Teignmouth Community Choir didn't have to worry about matters financial.

Things began to snowball when I realised that the theatre was available all day for a very reasonable cost and Singtastic secretary Sheila pointed out that 19 March was in the British Science Association's annual National Science and Engineering Week. I think it was also Sheila who said, 'Why don't we start our own science festival?'

So, all systems are GO for the first Teignmouth Science Festival. Details of the events are yet to be confirmed, but there'll be workshops, demonstrations, displays, talks and science-based activities, the grand finale being a performance of David Haines' science oratorio Powers of Ten, performed by, you've guessed it, Teignmouth Community Choir!

Sue Blake

David Haines presents his new science songs at the Royal Institution

David was delighted to be asked by author Christopher Lloyd to write a song to celebrate the 100 species identified in his new book What on Earth Evolved? In fact, David wrote two songs because he didn’t want to go down the patter-song route (à la Tom Lehrer’s periodic table song The Elements). The two songs are quite different, despite their mindbogglingly similar titles. The first song What on Earth Evolved? is a ballad mentioning 50 species that evolved in the wild, before man. In contrast, the second song, Whatever on Earth Evolved? is a jazzy catalogue of the second 50 species that thrived in the presence of man.

David was even more delighted to be asked to perform the songs at the book launch for What on Earth Evolved? at the Royal Institution in London on Thursday 8 October.

We arrived at the Royal Institution in Albemarle Street, Piccadilly on the appointed day, in good time for a rehearsal with Chris Lloyd. The Royal Institution has been a place of discovery over the past 200 years or so... we discovered that when unsure of the way (on foot) from Green Park Tube Station, it's much better to ask someone for directions than to try to use the Satnav!

Once inside we climbed the grand staircase, past the statue of Michael Faraday and into the theatre. Lectures have been held in the theatre since the early 19th Century. The Faraday Theatre is familiar to television viewers as the setting for the Children's Science Lectures broadcast each Christmas. Christopher Lloyd and David Haines were soon to join the long list of eminent speakers to grace that place - Michael Faraday, HG Wells, David Attenborough and Roger Bannister, to name but a few. No pressure then!

I was fascinated to watch Chris carefully sort out the props for his one-hour talk,

marvel at the film crew setting up,

and listen to David singing the songs....

again... and again... and yet again...

Will I ever get the tune of What on Earth Evolved? out of my head?

I continued to hear the songs over and over again as Chris synchronised the visuals with David's music for the powerpoint presentation.

After the rehearsal David and I took the opportunity to wander around the rest of the building.

In the far corner of the very grand library we found early editions of New Scientist and were amazed to find that the magazine began in the year of David's birth!

We ventured up into the gallery of the theatre and to the ultra-modern café, but not to the basement where we could apparently have heard Tom Lehrer's Elements song.

Shortly after six the audience was allowed in.

I thought I'd be able to just sit and watch a performance for once as professionals were videoing instead of me, but no, David thought I should film the songs on his new iPhone. I sat at the back, trying to remember David's instructions...don't switch it from silent to active, don't cover the lens with your finger, switch on in in good time...but be careful because the battery is rather low...

Most of the seats were filled when the show began at seven. Don't ask me much about it because I was busy concentrating on unfamiliar technology...thank you so much David! I can tell you that David performed really well and the audience loved the songs. Chris is a wonderful entertainer and his show - as well as his book - is highly recommended.

Both songs will be on the Singtastic website very soon. If you are impatient to hear them, follow the links below to access audio versions of David singing and Chris' powerpoint presentations, taken from the What on Earth Evolved? website.

What on Earth Evolved?

Whatever on Earth Evolved?

When will David and Chris perform the songs live again? Hopefully at the Carlton Theatre, Teignmouth on Friday 19th March...Watch this space!

Sue Blake

PS

Public science lectures at the Royal Institution were so popular that Albemarle Street was designated the first one-way street in London.

Science songs of David Haines to feature in New Scientist

David has been an avid reader of the New Scientist magazine for over 30 years, and has dreamed of Singtastic and his science songs getting a mention within the hallowed pages one day. Imagine his delight when his invitation to New Scientist's Amanda Gefter (Opinion Editor) to attend the forthcoming performance of Tremendous Journey at the Milton Keynes Science Festival, led to an email out of the blue from journalist Ellie Harris asking if David was prepared to do an interview for the Books & Arts section of the magazine!

Ellie's visit was planned with almost military precision. David met her from the train late last Monday afternoon and took her to straight to Haines House for the interview followed by a hasty cream tea. I don't know how David managed to relate his life-history, share his passion for science and music, and tell Ellie about all his future projects in less than an hour!

After tea it was off to the Cliffden Hotel summerhouse for a mini-concert by the Singtastic Singers of several songs from Tremendous Journey before the Teignmouth Community Choir rehearsal. The ensemble included Ellie's favourite song, Taxonomy, in their performance. The Singtastic Singers were delighted to perform for Ellie, it being almost a dress rehearsal for Milton Keynes.

No sooner had the Singtastic Singers finished than the Teignmouth Community Choir arrived for their weekly rehearsal, joined by several members of Ivybridge Community Community Choir as David had to cancel their Tuesday rehearsal because of his song-writing residency at Kew. Ellie joined the Alto section and had a great time!

We worked on Granny Galactica songs ready for our performances in November...93 Million Miles Away, Neutron Star, Big Bang, Take Care of the Earth and the first 37 bars of Bitter Tears, arranged by David that very afternoon. At the end of the evening we wowed Ellie and new choir members with Stargazing, not in Granny Galactica at present, but David's working on trying to slip it in somehow... though not for November, don't panic Leigh! I bet Ellie was exhausted when she reached her hotel. Mind you, she needed an early night because yet more was planned for Tuesday morning.

We picked Ellie up at the crack of dawn and whisked her, via the scenic route, from Teignmouth to St Mary's Catholic School, Buckfast where the whole school had assembled to sing to her. The children, aged five to eleven, who had performed in the summer Tremendous Journey concert, were delighted to see David and very disappointed that there wasn't time to sing all the songs. They were, of course, word-perfect and clearly still enjoyed singing David's songs.

All too soon it was time to take Ellie back to Teignmouth in time for her train back to London. The article should hopefully be in the 17th October edition - don't miss it!

Sue Blake

Singtastic Blogs Christopher Lloyd

The Singtastic blog is now going strong and certainly worth a look. To provide a flavour of it, here’s the Christopher Lloyd story so far, as revealed by me recently over several days on our blog.

What on Earth Happened to Sue in Bristol?

Being part of Singtastic is so exciting. In late June, on the way back from a trade conference in Bristol I decided to buy a book from WHSmith at Bristol Temple Meads station. I chose the paperback edition of What on Earth Happened? by Christopher Lloyd. I spent a couple of wonderful hours locked in the pages of Chris' fascinating book on the rail journey back to Teignmouth.

The next day I was looking, as usual, for something to distract me from my work...
So...
I decided to check out Chris Lloyd's website whatonearthhappened.com and, lo and behold, on his website was a quiz...
So...
I just had to do the quiz, and, despite being a teacher my score was appalling, so, because I'm a teacher I took up Chris' offer of emailing him for the answers. His answer and my reply led to...

[To be Continued!]

Sue

Chicken or Egg?

Which happened first?

Chris Lloyd a) looking at the Singtastic website or b) inviting us to the launch of his new book 'What on Earth Evolved? at the Royal Institution in October...

No matter!

It led to David and I visiting Chris at his home located somewhere between Milton Keynes, Guildford and Down House. (Thank goodness for SatNav)
We chatted about Chris' new book and the book launch, then David gave a mini-concert. We left with a draft copy of the book and the task of composing a song listing all 100 species mentioned in it.
Rather, David left with the task of composing a song listing all 100 species mentioned in Chris Lloyd's new book!

Sue

What's so Special about Earthworms, Fleas, Sponge and Slime?

... Sharks, Coral, Elephants and the Oak?

Here's a clue...

Yes, they are all species (plus 92 more) mentioned in Chris Lloyd's new book, What On Earth Evolved? and therefore in the songs written by David for the book launch. Chris has identified 100 species that he considers have changed the world. The species I teased you with above are all in the first 50, species that generally evolved before man. Hamsters, Coffee, Lavender, Grass, Cats and Dogs are among the second 50 species evolving after man.

Songs?

Yes, David has written two songs.

What on Earth Evolved? celebrating species 1 to 50 and Whatever on Earth Evolved? 51 to 100.

Why not just one song?

David's reply was quite clear, "100 species were just too many to include in a song without going down the patter song route (which I usually don't like and don't do)"

The songs will make their debut, sung by David himself as part of the book launch at the Royal Institution, Piccadilly on 8th October at 7pm - why not join us?

Sue

I don't want to give TOO much away...

David and I met up with Chris Lloyd the other afternoon and over tea at Dartington in Devon finalised arrangements for our part of the book launch at the Royal Institution.

I don't want to give too much away...

but I can tell you that Chris has planned some amazing visuals to accompany David's singing!

It was such a privilege to sit next to Chris as he unravelled the various strands of his very clever book, we sat enthralled until closing time forced us to leave the cafe.

I don't want to give too much away...

but I can tell you that David hopes to be writing some more songs inspired by What on Earth Evolved?

The very next day saw us hard at work in the Singtastic studio preparing Tutor and Singalong videos of the two songs for the website.

I don't want to give too much away but...

I can tell you that these videos will be very different to the others on the website...

Just you wait and see!

Sue

Singtastic at the British Science Festival

Each September the British Science Association hold a Science Festival in a university town. Last year we took the newly-formed Singtastic Singers up to Liverpool to busk. I'm pleased to say that Singtastic had a rather bigger presence at the festival this year, which took place in Guildford. The British Science Association booked the Singtastic Singers to appear at the Friary Shopping Centre on the Saturday and with children from two local schools for a performance of Tremendous Journey at the University of Surrey on the Sunday.

David travelled up on Thursday 3rd September to rehearse the children of Amesbury School and Fernhurst Primary School. He was amazed at how little he needed to do, as the children and their teachers had worked hard on the songs over the summer.

The Singtastic Singers and I travelled up on the Saturday morning, arriving just in time to hurry along the riverbank to sing in the Food Gallery of the Friary Shopping Centre. This experience was challenging, but at least this year the Singtastic Singers were indoors and had the musical accompaniment of David on the keyboard, Ian on his cajon and Lisa on double bass. Saturday afternoons will never be the same again in the Friary Shopping Centre! Later that evening some of us went to a lecture at the university and then we all met up for a great meal at a Thai restaurant. I'd like to say that we all got to bed early, but...

Sunday was a very busy day. Our concert venue was the impressive large lecture theatre in the Management Centre. In the morning David and I worked very hard rearranging furniture and sorting out the technicalities of lighting and powerpoint, tasks we couldn't have completed without the help of the festival staff. The Singtastic Singers skillfully managed their own rehearsal, with the odd note or word of encouragement from David. The children arrived, bursting with enthusiasm at 12-30 for a brief rehearsal before their all-important lunch break.

The audience were allowed in at 1-50, just as the powerpoint issues were resolved - phew! David introduced the children, then the Singtastic Singers, before delivering his Dawkins reading which led to the first song...and before we knew it, Tremendous Journey had triumphed again...inspiring yet another group of children and amazing another appreciative audience. After the concert David and the Singtastic Singers headed back to Devon, but I stayed, I wined and dined and was in bed watching TV by 7-30...don't tell them!

I spent the next two days attending lectures and meeting some great people. Shame David had to get back to direct the Community Choirs wasn't it?

Sue

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