Simon Gunton (it's a place in Norfolk in case you didn't know) is the man with the golden trombone. Check him out on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qw5NOVOB38 talking about the slide and the pipe. Simon conducted the stupendous Cambridge Cantata in King's College chapel a couple of years ago and went on to mastermind the musical tribute to Cambridge legend Syd Barret held at the Centre in 2008 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0uHga3rSbc&feature=related ) Not forgetting the gala performance in Trinity College Chapel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuEFIY3Fogw ). But we've passed a lot of water since then (to coin a phrase) and now Simon is running a new project on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Centre, aided and abetted by the lovely Sarah (right) best known for her City Wakes vocals and Richard Brown.
The current group consists of some City Wakes participants like Joe - shown here on bass guitar - and plenty of new members. Since September 2009, the group has spent two sessions a week bonding, learning about tempi and rhythm under Simon's energetic leadership, expressing their ideas in visual terms and converting their images into sounds.
Two years ago, the project was coordinated by Escape Artists and the Mental Health Resource Centre on Norfolk Street with sponsorship from Cambridge Regional College. The new project also has CRC sponsorship.
John Quysner, 22/03/2010
