One of the special new additions to this year’s performances was our brass band, who led the audiences between each performance location. We were lucky to be joined by three wonderful young musicians Siân Collins, Ben Day and Derryck Nasib.
We’re particularly keen to support local young musicians so were excited to have Derryck join the team, who’s actually from Morden. He only needed to roll out of bed 10mins before the call time before our Morden performance! So we thought we’d catch up with him about what it has been like performing with Baseless Fabric this summer:
So, how did you get into music?
I was introduced to music from an early age mainly from my mum who is a freelance opera singer. I took up the piano when I was 6 years old, but it wasn’t until when I was in Year 7, that I decided that I wanted to play a brass instrument.
My high school (Greenshaw) introduced us to music lessons and I wanted to play the Trumpet. However, there were no Trumpet teachers available, so a year passed and soon after I started Year 8, my best friend at the time (who was learning Trombone in Sutton Music Service) asked me if I wanted to come along to the Saturday Music School and try out any instruments there. After hearing the French Horn in a concert, I decided that I would like to give that a go, and have loved it ever since. I started off in Sutton Youth Training Band and eventually managed to work my way up play in the Sutton Youth Symphony / Wind Orchestras!
James McOran-Campbell playing Falke in a Community Centre in Pollards Hill
How’s it been playing with Baseless Fabric?
I have absolutely loved every moment of working with Baseless Fabric Theatre and it’s wonderful that it’s so local – the whole experience has been a real highlight for me!
And what’s next on the cards?
I’ll be helping out South London Youth Orchestra next week where I mentor some of the brass players in their summer course. After that, I have a European tour in November with the Chineke! Orchestra to Bruges, Aachen, Antwerp, Amsterdam and Cologne. And I’ll be touring with Shadwell Opera Company to St. Petersburg performing Oliver Knussen’s fantasy opera, Where the Wild Things Are at the Mariinsky Concert Hall!
Aha… so a bit less local than Morden then!
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PS. In case you were wondering who all our brass players were…
Hailing from Sussex, Ben begin playing trumpet at the age of 6. Wanting to pursue a career in music, he studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Guildhall School and now looks forward to taking part in creative projects around the UK.
Having studied at the Birmingham Conservatiore and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Siân is a now a professional freelance horn player and teacher. She enjoys performing in a variety of styles and ensembles, and has played in a number of orchestras across Europe including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Derryck is a freelance French Horn player who studied at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Aside from music, he has a passion for trains and often enjoys trainspotting. He is also a member of the Chineke! Orchestra and will be touring to Europe with them this coming November
