A reflection on ‘Portraits of Shibden’ by Benjamin Ellin.
The way contemporary culture and the arts portrays itself tends more and more to emphasise ‘this’ one gifted artist, ‘that’ one piece or the ‘easily’ marketable event. However, Benjamin Ellin’s Portraits of Shibden (premiered on 15th August) provides a perfect of example of how our creative lives and endeavours can and should be more grounded in our communities and our local realities.
A busy creative scene will always generate assets that can be projected onto the world stage and satisfy those who want boast about monetary value but aspiration to be the ‘most clicked’ or ‘top ten listed’ does not automatically fulfil regional and local need.
By working with an ensemble of musicians and educators (all of whom are world-class within their own specialism) on a grassroots project, delivering in schools and into the community, Benjamin Ellin was attuned to a momentum and a determination to create and share that can only be witnessed from within; through participation.
When the opportunity to pitch for an important commission aimed at marking a historical celebration as part of a festival event intended to fulfil regional creative ambitions ‘to be a place of music’, Benjamin was well prepared to make a strong representation to the commissioning team and to the English Chamber Orchestra who premiered the work as part of their commitment to the Calderdale region. Without an involvement in vital education work, it is unlikely anyone could be so ‘attuned’.
It is this attunement that enabled him to make full use of the musical resources at his disposal including a highly practical and musically pleasing contribution from the Halifax Choral Society. This understanding of the context, not only of the historical celebration but the mechanics of the opportunity, resulted in a piece that sat comfortably alongside the existing repertoire performed at the Stage At The Lake Prom; musically ambitious whilst being inclusive.
But the piece was never intended to be about the one marketable, event performance; a large scale musical work that might struggle to find further performances. With a flexible ensemble arrangement produced in tandem and extracted from the main work, provision has already been made for a musical creation that ‘belongs’ to the community of Calderdale. One that will have many more opportunities to be heard in that community and further afield.