Spotlight 16. Music

Sheffield Chamber Music Festival at Home

The show must go on and Music in the Round is presenting their first ever free online festival of music this weekend, including Concerteenies for your young families!

Sheffield Chamber Music Festival at Home (#SCMFhome) will feature more than a dozen specially curated performances, talks and family events, all launching on the Music in the Round YouTube channel over two days on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 May. 

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The Shape of Music:  Maurice Sendak’s Insightful Meditation on the Key to Great Storytelling

Check out this article that argues the importance of music in storytelling and offers in insight into the creative process of legendary children's author Maurice Sendak.

Read the article

Music and Book Pairings

Can listening to music really enhance the experience of reading a book?  Hmm, maybe...  Well these guys certainly think so and have made some suggestions for pairings that might we worth a try.  Why not give it go.

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Time to Rhyme

Visit the brilliant Book Trust website and use their playlists and downloads to create your own rhymetime fun for little ones. Sing along to favourites like Old MacDonald and get to know some brilliant new rhymes, too.

Visit the Book Trust Website

And if you need a bit more inspiration for songs and actions, visit our Sheffield Libraries Facebook page every Friday, where the fabulous Laura from Firth Park Library will be leading an online Rhyme Time session.

Visit our Facebook page

Authors and their Desert Island Discs

Desert Island Discs is always worth a listen, and you'll have your own laminated list worked out just in case you get the call, right?...

Anyway, why not dip into these archive recordings with authors, Maya Angelou, Zadie Smith, and Hanif Kureishi.

Creativity during Corona - Lyrics

During lockdown, we've been posting daily prompts to spark your creativity.  Claire from Central Library writes,

Do you think that song lyrics are poetry? Remember in 2016 when Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for literature causing much controversy, including the singer’s reaction to receiving the award. I only have to listen to Kate Tempest, Leonard Cohen or the Arctic Monkeys to believe that poetry and music are one, but I’m sure many wouldn’t agree.

While you ponder that, here’s Songs for the People by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper.

You could simply read the poem then close…or take a look at the prompts on our Facebook page and send us your own thoughts, notes, journal piece, poem, short story,  drawing, paintings, photographs, knitting, sewing, or  songs….  Enjoy.