Acclaimed Composer Works With Musicians To Produce Piece For ‘Festival Of The Sea’

Conductor and composer Michael Betteridge and international soprano Sarah Dacey (centre) hold a composition workshop at Cleethorpes Academy with students in Years 7-10, for a piece that will feature at  Festival Of The Sea in July.

Cleethorpes Academy musicians have been working with acclaimed conductor and composer Michael Betteridge to help bring the dramatic cantata ‘Voices Of The Sands’ to life at this year’s ‘Festival Of The Sea,’ in Grimsby.

Michael and international soprano Sarah Dacey are visiting the Academy on three occasions to work with singers and budding musicians, creating a choir and an orchestra, who will accompany them in a performance on Friday July 15 at 7pm at Grimsby Minster.

Arranged by MAPAS (the Music and Performing Arts Service), the students in Years 7-10, some of whom have not played before and are not used to performance, have taken part in workshops with the artists. The musicians have been working on improvising and composing a melody to go over rhythms created by Michael. Students with higher musical ability are helping to coach those who have not performed before. The groups will come together as one ensemble to perform at Grimsby Minster on the opening evening of the Festival. 

Rebecca Tipper, Curriculum Leader for Music at Cleethorpes Academy, said: “This is a fabulous opportunity for our students to work with music professionals. It is giving our regular musicians and those students who are new to music a chance to play as part of an orchestra and to use their improvisation skills. They are learning how to compose a piece from someone who is an accomplished composer.”

Michael Betteridge said the students were “doing extremely well” in the workshops.

“There are some beginners here and there are also some very accomplished musicians who have been open to new ways of performing, and I am very pleased with all of the students’ participation in this project,” he said.

Michael Betteridge conducts Cleethorpes Academy musicians (above and below).