South Gloucestershire | Archive | 2005 | December | 16
From the archive, first published Friday 16th Dec 2005.
FOLLOWING its world premiere at St George's Concert Hall, Bristol, Fantasia on Vivaldi's Four Seasons comes to the Subscription Rooms, Stroud this weekend.
The extraordinary team project is the result of a unique collaboration between some of the biggest players in British film and television, bringing Vivaldi's much-loved piece of music The Four Seasons to the screen.
Roger Huckle and the Emerald Ensemble will be playing the piece, while film images are presented live on a giant screen above.
"Not many people realise that, through descriptive sonnets, Vivaldi gave film makers a virtual storyboard and shot-list to accompany The Four Seasons," said award-winning producer Martin Weitz, of Focus Productions who was asked by Roger Huckle to bring together the creative team behind the Fantasia project.
Focus was responsible for one of the most acclaimed films on television in the last year - The Amazing Boy with the Incredible Brain. Martin Weitz managed to involve Aardman Features and Granada TV who donated editing facilities.
He also persuaded two brilliant young film editors to donate their time - Ben King and Matt Purgaus.
The BBC Motion Gallery gave unlimited free access to its entire library to help create Fantasia. Some of the most memorable images ever captured on film of the changing seasons have been brought together.
Bafta-award winning graphics and animation company BDH (Burrell Durrant Hifle) was also involved in the project, creating stunning new imagery specially for the event.
Roger Huckle said: "It's amazing how everyone has offered to do everything free of charge - they all just said it was a brilliant idea with which they wanted to be associated."
The performance on Sunday starts at 7.45pm at Stroud Subscription Rooms.
Tickets are available from Tourist Information Centres at Stroud, Cirencester and Tetbury or direct from Emerald Ensemble bookings on 0117 924 3159.
© Newsquest Media Group 2008