Ulster Orchestra

A Marvellous Medicine

A Marvellous Medicine is a setting of various poems by Roald Dahl set to music by Brian Irvine with the permission of the Dahl Foundation.

It is in reality much, much more.

Commissioned originally by Live Music Now, A Marvellous Medicine had been a huge success in both Larne and Derry in its small-scale format. Then came this new version, extended, rewritten and orchestrated especially for the Ulster Orchestra, with funding for the commission from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s National Lottery New Works fund.

A Marvellous Medicine brought some 240 singing, acting, running, talking, laughing, crying, dancing, Belfast primary school pupils to perform with the Orchestra in what was a genuine partnership of equals. Ignited by Dahl’s fantastically funny characters, this was new contemporary music of the most engaging kind.

The Marvellous Medicine project involved 2 classes from each of 4 different primary schools, chosen to give a cross-community mix – Mercy, Finaghy, St Bernadette’s and Elmgrove. Each school received three workshops: the first given by Brian Irvine; the next two given by Brian plus a string quartet from the Orchestra. The last of the three workshops in each school also involved a short performance by the children for the rest of their school. Each workshop lasted around one and a half hours.

A final early evening concert, directed by Brian Irvine, was held in the Waterfront Hall on Saturday 10 March 2007. The children were on the stage with the Orchestra and the concert lasted approximately 1 hour, suitable for, and attracting, all ages. Earlier that day a rehearsal was held to give the children the opportunity to run through their parts with the full orchestra.

Everyone participating in the event, including the members of the Orchestra, was given specially designed A Marvellous Medicine T-shirts.