Written 1986 and
first performed
in the Barbican
Concert Hall,
London.
Sound Bites
These will be available shortly.Instrumentation
|
3 Flutes 3/4 Bb Clarinets 2 Alto Saxophones 1 Tenor Saxophone |
3 Bb Trumpets 3 Trombones 1 Tuba Classical/Acoustic Guitar |
Electric Bass Electric Keyboard (String) Synthesiser Piano |
|
Timpani Bass Drum Drum Kit |
African Marimba Xylophone Vibraphone Glockenspiel |
African Thumb Piano Bongos Congas |
Musical Examples
Details of Publications currently available
Vocal Score, and Word Book are on sale from Josef Weinberger Ltd..Full Score and Stage Band parts available on hire from Josef Weinberger Ltd..
Recordings and Additional Merchandise
A double-length cassette, performed by the Choir and Musicians of St. Augustine's RC High School, and narrated by Mary Miller is available from Josef Weinberger Ltd.Television Appearances
African Jigsaw was shown as a Splash Special by ITV in 1987, and also in the ITV Middle English series.Performing the Musical
If you are considering a performance and would like to know more about licensing details and hire of parts, please contact Josef Weinberger Ltd. directly.
Author's note
Whilst the African spirit runs strongly through both the words and the music, the score has been designed to be accessible to Western schoolchildren of limited musical experience.
Ideally the accompaniment should be as colourful as possible. However, a performance with piano and percussion, with or without a smaller stage band, should prove to be musically acceptable. The percussion adds an important character to the work. Many of the instruments such as Thumb Pianos and Drums could be researched, designed and constructed in the school's Craft, Design and Technology Department as a project for students.
The African Marimba in particular gives an essentially African feel to the music. The beautiful-sounding instrument used in our first performances and recordings was constructed out of simple materials by an enthusiastic parent. His plans, along with other educational material for use in conjunction with African Jigsaw, are available on request from the Education Departments of WWF-UK.
