Striking a chord with age (From Haringey Independent)

Striking a chord with age

7:06pm Wednesday 28th February 2007 in Feature Focus

Renowned composer Matthew Ferraro, who has written the music for several Hollywood blockbusters, recently paid a visit to a Muswell Hill residential home for the elderly. TOM JOHNSON found out what he was doing there.

At first glance, Cranwood House, in Woodside Avenue, is a world away from Hollywood and the glamorous American film industry. But on Friday, February 16, those two worlds were brought closer together with the visit of distinguished American composer Matthew Ferraro.

Mr Ferraro, who has composed soundtracks for movie blockbusters like Twin Towers and Spider-Man, was at the home to work on his continuing project Tension of Opposites.

Tension of Opposites is a large-scale contemporary work written for symphony orchestra, mixed chorus, tape and soloists. Through it, Mr Ferraro aims to explore the major life issues we all face as human beings on this earth' - according to Mr Ferraro's official website.

Crouch End Festival Chorus is one of the musical groups enlisted to perform Tension of Opposites at its premiere in 2008, possibly at the Barbican.

The fifth movement of the piece focuses on age and youth - and that is where Cranwood House comes into it. Comments made by the elderly residents there will be recorded and played as part of the movement. They were joined by residents from Broadwater Lodge and Grange Day Centre, both in Tottenham.

Chatting away with the elderly ladies, Mr Ferraro was clearly enjoying himself. "Are you married?" asked resident Vickey Avery, a trace of hope in her faltering voice. "Yes," he replied. "I told you," she said to her friends Vera Hayward and Sonia Wiggett, "all the nice men are married."

Mr Ferraro hopes to address society's perception of older people through the project. "The older generation gets a bad rep," he said. As well as changing that perception, he hopes to inject some comic value too.

"This movement, I think, will be really funny," said Chicago-born Mr Ferraro. "Orchestral music is a brilliant form, but it's dying. I want to get people - through emotional experiences - to take action. I want to get people involved and get publicity for the causes involved in the project."

Mr Ferraro, who later described meeting the residents at Cranwood House as fun' and a ride', had only positive things to say about this country and Crouch End Festival Chorus. He said: "I work in London a lot and I've worked with the Crouch End choir before. They're a great group.

"I was interested in taking the project out of the US and coming here seemed like the best thing.

"What I love about the UK is its ethnicity. London is even more of a melting pot than New York. I love the diversity of how people talk, which will add to the mosaic of the whole thing."

Although Mr Ferraro has a wealth of experience, he said Tension of Opposites was a bit of a life passion', adding: "It has taken on a life of its own."