THE PLACE BETWEEN

Based on the picture book by Angela McAllister and Grahame Baker-Smith, with music by Paul Rissmann and animation by Victor Craven, the 20-minute story sits at the heart of a concert performed by a live quintet; flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano.  

Set in a dazzling fairground world, the story follows Leon as he volunteers for a magician's show and is transported to the mysterious "Place Between".

Led by Jessie Grimes, there will be a whole selection of music for your students to enjoy, introducing these instruments in an accessible and engaging way and exploring themes of trust, confidence, self-belief and magic.  

Through live music, narration, projected animation and participatory singing, pupils discover how composers use character themes and recurring musical ideas to tell stories in sound. 

Programme to include:

Paul Dukas                                              Excerpt from The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Joan Tower                                             Excerpt from Petroushskates 

Elena Kats-Chernin                            Eliza's Aria 

David Lang                                             Excerpt from Sweet Air 

Paul Rissmann                                       Leon and the Place Between

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul             A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman 

Please find the song sheets here, which will help remind you and teach your class the interactive songs, phrases and moments for the performance.  

There are audio tracks to help you follow along as well as a guide to practising the interactive musical moments. 

Also, please find the lyrics for A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman here. This is a great way to engage the children, with a familiar song that can start their exploration into the circus world of Leon and the Place Between.  

Use as much or as little as works for you and your class. Even a little preparation will make a difference to the children’s experience in the live performance.  

Britten Sinfonia is a professional chamber orchestra and music education charity based in Cambridge. Alongside performing in major concert halls in the UK and around the world, we work in schools and communities across the East of England, creating opportunities for people of all ages to make music together.

Our Learning & Participation programme brings musicians and children together through live performance, creative projects and new music written especially for young people.

Cambridgeshire Music is the Music Service for the County coordinating provision of music education and creative arts therapies. We make high quality music happen all across Cambridgeshire for young people and families – both in and out of school. We organise thousands of music lessons, bands and projects in all styles of music, as well as creative arts therapies for all ages. We work in partnership with hundreds of professional musicians and organisations. We also facilitate the work of the Music Education Hub for the County on behalf of the Local Authority and Hub Partners.