Writing to music with Fiona Thompson – our February workshop
Pedals – who knew? For our workshop with writer Fiona Thompson, there was much excitement when Fiona brought her harp. Few of us had seen one of these beautiful instruments up close.
Fiona's writing workshops are inspired by Natalie Goldberg, a Buddhist writer who combined writing with meditation.
With prompts and listening to passages of music, we were encouraged to write, and keep writing whatever came to us, until each piece of music finished. We shared our writing, from wistful to heartbreaking to witty to the pure enjoyment of listening to the music itself.
A curious lot, our members wanted to know more – and Fiona invited us to have a go at playing the harp. For an instrument with such subtlety, we discovered that it needs some wellie to play its characteristic cascade of notes, the glissando.
And the sketches? Well, I was supposed to be taking pictures but music is so lovely to draw...
A massive thank-you to Fiona for a wonderful evening and particularly for the generosity of transporting her harp to play for us live.
Find out more about Fiona's writing work here and London City Orchestra here.
Photos by Lydia and Alison
Yes a lovely evening. I didn't know that playing a harp would be on my bucket list of things to do. But having done it it is. And even better I can say I've done it!
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