Chernobyl kids embraced by UK orchestra

Kirill Karabits, the go-ahead young conductor in Bournemouth, is welcoming survivors of the Chernobyl disaster, close to his Ukrainian home town, to his forthcoming concerts.

Shocking as it is to hear that a new generation of children is being treated for the aftereffects of Soviet negligence 24 years ago, it is warming to know that they are not forgotten.

Details in the press release, below;

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra hosts Chernobyl children at free schools concert

Over 4,000 local schoolchildren to perform song celebrating 200 years of Bournemouth

On 13^th and 14^th July, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra will perform four schools concerts in Poole, presented by the BSO/J.P. Morgan Children’s Composer, Paul Rissmann.  Over 4,000 schoolchildren from schools across Dorset, Poole and Bournemouth will attend the concerts free of charge.

At the Wednesday afternoon concert the audience will include a group of children aged just 10-12 from the Russian town of Belarus, a country still affected by the Chernobyl nuclear fallout, who are in Poole on a recuperative holiday.  This has a special resonance for Kirill Karabits, the BSO’s Principal Conductor, who is originally from Kiev, only some 50 miles from the children’s home town.  When he heard that the group, who speak no English, were to come hear the orchestra play, he recorded a special video welcome in Russian, to be played to them before they hear the concert.   

BSO Community Musician Andy Baker will meet the children in the morning to lead a workshop on the music that is to be played.  One piece he will explain to them is an interactive song, B200, written by Paul Rissmann with the help of Year 4 pupils at Muscliff Primary School, which celebrates the bicentenary of Bournemouth.  Schools across the county have been learning the words and music and will perform the song accompanied by the full orchestra.

Jacky Thorne, BSO’s Head of Communications said, “The BSO is delighted to be making such an important connection with Chernobyl, and looks forward to performing its renowned school concerts to so many young people in Dorset.“

For further information, please contact Helen Tweedy at Albion Media

020 7495 4455 helen@albion-media.co.uk

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra: http://www.bsolive.com/

Chernobyl Children Life Line: http://www.ccll.org.uk/ho/

Albion Media: http://www.albion-media.co.uk/

Editors’ Notes

Concert Details

Tuesday 13^th July

10:15 & 13:30

The Lighthouse, Poole

Wednesday 14^th July

10:15 & 13:30

The Lighthouse, Poole