Both A Pupil in Studio 90 at the Park Theatre and The Muddy Choir touring with Theatre Centre finished well last week, and it was an interesting experience working simultaneously on two plays by ex-East 15er Jesse Briton. I was pleased with the way the music turned out and the way it was used and performed in both productions, and despite clear programme notes for A Pupil some reviewers thought I had composed music by Bach, Beethoven, Debussy et al. Very flattering but sadly not true. The moment in the play and the violin piece I completely fell in love with was Respighi’s Melodia from his Six Pieces for Violin and Piano, which was played as a recording and then the character Simona (the excellent actor-violinist Flora Spencer-Longhurst) slipped into playing the piece as the recording was faded out. She came in perfectly in tune every time I saw the show.
Colin Sell 