Culture for kids at Bach to Baby

I’m sad to say that high culture is not frequently consumed in the Capocci household.  The fact that we now seem to be listening to more BBC Radio 2 than 1 is about as highbrow as it gets.   So in an effort to try and change this and counteract Coco’s current obsession with Peppa Pig, my friends and I decided to take our now not so little bundles to Bach to Baby – a classical concert especially for babies and toddlers.

An already very popular series of classical musical events, Bach to Baby treats children and their parents to professional performances from a raft of incredibly talented musicians in a range of beautiful settings across London and Surrey for an extremely reasonable £10 per adult (children go free).

 

My friends and I descended upon the impressive St Alfeges Church, Greenwich, where we were lucky enough to be spoiled by a stunning showcase from the very gifted harpist Keziah Thomas.  Far from being dumbed down, the concert, titled ‘Around the World on 47 Strings,’ featured a number of classical pieces that transported us across the globe, including the Bransles from France and the Tango from Argentina.  

Despite the high calibre of the music performed, it was clear the organisers had kept children front of mind.  Kids were given the best front row seats with cushions laid out close to Keziah and her harp, and interaction from the audience was actively encouraged with even the most off topic questions being answered warmly (one toddler simply stated ‘I have a cough’ – bless).  Whilst many of the kids were captivated by the performance, there was a fair few more ‘adventurous’ members of the audience who decided to run riot through the church after just five minutes of sitting still (Coco and her pals included).   However, Keziah remained upbeat and professional throughout and didn’t even lose her cool when a rowdy bunch of babies decided to climb, bang and attempt to play her very beautiful and very expensive harp (she clearly has the patience of a saint!). 

Whilst it made a very welcome change to the more typical children’s events and classes, I have to say Keziah’s renditions of ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ and ‘Wheels on the Bus’ were sure fire hits with the under fives and even received an encore from Coco (aka MORE, MORE, normally only reserved for ice cream or chocolate).  

Bach to Baby may not be something I would want to take Coco to every week, but I think it’s fantastic that families have access to professionally played classical music, which can only be doing our kids the power of good, and we will definitely be taking a prime position at a nearby concert again soon.

For all further information on tour dates and locations please visit…http://www.bachtobaby.com

Gemma x