Threshing Machine: a musical interpretation of a heritage resource
Written by Rob Harbron
In January 2016, Miranda Rutter and Rob Harbron spent four sessions working with the Reading String Orchestra – the senior string ensemble of Berkshire Maestros, the Berkshire Music Hub. In addition to Rob and Miranda’s experience of playing and teaching folk music, they were also able to draw on their previous experience of working with classical players, as well as personal experiences of classical music training and ensemble playing from their own teenage years.
A visit to the Museum of English Rural Life, University of Reading, sparked the idea of creating a musical interpretation of the working of a threshing machine linking different rhythmic and melodic patterns that could fit together to make a musical piece. This pack presents the exercises and processes that Rob and Miranda used with the Reading String Orchestra.
You can download an audio recording prepared by Rob of the final piece but clicking on the audio tab at the top of this window.
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