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Movement Four: Finale
Broadcast date: Thursday 5th April 2007, Channel 4, 7.55pm
Performed by 100 Buskers past and present in 15 locations around London. Probably the most ambitious Three-Minute Wonder ever made! The idea came to director Benjamin Till in a dream. He was wandering around Covent Garden and everywhere he turned he saw another busker... playing the same piece of music... in wonderful harmony. He woke up and immediately thought how incredible it would be to try and resurrect this dream. A few days later he was at South Kensington tube and walked past a saxophonist playing ABBA's Super Trouper to a backing track. A mother was watching with her seven-year old daughter. She turned to her daughter and said, "This is a very famous and wonderful peice of music. It makes me smile." At which point she started dancing with the little girl. They were laughing. It was incredible. It made him realise quite what a difference buskers can make to life and how much joy they can potentially bring. The film was shot over three days. We became obsessed with the idea of finding increasingly more daring and bizarre places to put buskers. We wanted the films to become an alternative postcard from London. We had musicians playing in rickshaws on Brick Lane; violinists in fountains; at the top of Monument; in flower markets; on roundabouts; on balconies and in windows at the Tate Modern... We filmed buskers on roof tops over looking St James' Park, a Colombian Flamenco performer on the Urban Beach at the Truman Brewery... We filmed in Covent Garden, Canary Wharf, St Paul's Cathedral and resurrected the Band Stand at Arnold Circus with a concert by the Becontree Brass Band. We were blessed by the weather. The music for the movement continually changes style and pace to reflect the different styles of performers. No two buskers are the same. One might play jazz... the next might be a classical virtuoso... The movement features a sheng player, a bagpiper, a musical saw, twenty string players, a full brass band, a rock band (who perform from the roof of a car), ten woodwind players and Ben Teacher, a fabulous one armed guitarist. Accordion - George Chiriac Bagpipes - David Whitney Cello - Roger Holtom, Pavel Tejeda Clarinet - Samuel Becker Double Bass - Suzie Li Drums - Fabio Tedde Flute - James Fortune Guitar - Ben Teacher Gtr/Vocals - Carolina Herrera Ladder Climber - Pete Dobbing Musical Saw/Double Bass - Simon Little Oboe - Michael O'Donnell Penny Whistle - Sophia Snape Sheng - Guo Yi Silver Centurion - Duncan Meadows Soprano Sax - Mirto Ferrandino Tap Dancer - Shunji Ohashi Tenor Sax - Shabaka Hutchings Trumpet - Thom Hewitt Viola - Mandy Drummond, Jim Huang, Jake Walker Violins - David Bignell, Fiona Brice, Edward Bruggemeyer, Steve Foster-Plikington, Stephen Hussey, Yuka Matsumotot, Max Reid, Kotono Sato, Ted Thornhill, Horia Vacarescu, Adrian Varela, Deborah White Pluck Summer Holiday The Beacontree Brass Band Thanks to: Asian Rikshaws, City of London Film Office, Covent Garden Market Management, Film London, Gaby Motola, Gill Rudd, James Murphy, Jinne Stiksma, More London Estates, Pamela Stephenson Promotions, Sonica Studios, the City Beach at the Old Truman Brewery, The Film Office - Tower Hamlets, the Friends of Arnold Circus, the Work Foundation, Hilary Brennan, Gary Call, George Clare, Christel Clare, Jackie Clare, Georgie Clarke, Nez Emecki, Dylan Emery, Adam English, Philippa Goslett, Nicola Harrison, Jo Harry, Eileen Henry, Angel Humphrey, Crispin Jessup, Lydia Jessup, Nicola Jessup, Kate Jones, Lianne Ludlow, Orla McQuillan, Brogan Moore, Darion Moore, Pete Moore, Brad Round, emel & Kenan Said, Beth Simkins, Philippa Simkins, Matthias Stokes, Nathan Taylor, Edward Till, Noelle & Richard Till, Said Vedat Camera: Vic Marwaha Production manager: Katharine Simkins Music producer: Julian Simmons at DIN Additional sound engineering: Joe Jardine Camera Assistant: Jonathan Velardi Production assistant: Loren Berlinka Runners: Cenay Said, Ted Thonrhill, Isabel Sheridan Editor: Jamie Foord Composed and directed by: Benjamin Till Produced by: Julie Clare |
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