Dream Journey with Sandra Agard and Keith Waithe
“Jambo” means hello!
Sandra Agard, renowned storyteller and Keith Waithe, award winning flautist and composer took our 8C, 8L and 8N classes on a dream journey, a wonderful fusion of music, storytelling and poetry from Guyana and the Caribbean on Wednesday 8th July as part of Arts Week.
Sandra started off the session by asking the classes what the word for “hello” was in different languages, which the students impressively fired back at her! She then told the stories of Anansi and the Magic Cooking Pot and The Talking Flute in her superb, lively and animated style, involving the students in role-playing – Minh Nguyen (8HL) making an impressively, wicked emperor! - or drawing them in with every word until they were literally on the edge of their seats.
Vocal gymnastics!
All our Year 8s have rhythm! They clapped to titi tita tum to dum, titi tita tum to dum, titi tita tum to dum…
Keith has a secret…he loves flutes! He shared this with the students by bringing in a small selection of his favourites to play. Amongst them, a bamboo flute from Bali, a Atenben flute from Ghana, an embellished flute from Tibet, a penny whistle from Ireland, a Jamaican bamboo flute and a silver flute from Western Europe on which he imitated animals and sounds, such as the maniacal laughter of a monkey, the roar of a lion and the wind in the rain.
The magical journey continued…
Keith loves the way storytellers use words and used his music to enhance Sandra’s words.
Douennes (A Caribbean tale) told by Sandra with Gimbe accompaniment by Keith. A scary story of two children venturing into the woods and meeting the Douennes (souls of children). Although warned by their friends and family the children don’t listen to the advice!
Keith revealed that he wakes up at 4.30am every morning to the sound of birdsong, goes to his backyard and plays to the birds on his Ocarina, a tiny clay flute from Peru! He plays, then tricks them by playing a Chinese melody which they dislike so much, they sing a little longer, then fly away, at which point Keith returns to bed for another two hours until he needs to get up! His little Ocarina hangs delicately round his neck in anticipation for their sweet song each morning.
More vocal gymnastics!
…chi chi cha cha chi…
Keith ended the session by choosing students to play a selection of percussion instruments – a Gimbe drum, played with wonderful rhythm and vigour by Jordan Kerr (8CP), Benjamin Olatunbosun (8SS) and Morenike Ogunseye (8BW) – a giant Ponsietta seed pod, shakers, tamborines and bells, by the other students.
…aya moo moo jay……aya moo moo jay…
A rich and joyful sound was created by our wonderful, rhythmic Year 8s, Keith and Sandra as they danced, played and sang.
Kwaheri means goodbye!
Ms Mitchell, Librarian