News
TRH visit the Asian Music Centre in Acton, London
2nd July 2008
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited a centre in London dedicated to Asian music today, and met musicians, local school children and supporters before trying a few instruments for themselves.
The Asian Music Centre (AMC) in Acton is dedicated to educating visitors about traditional music and instruments from across the Asian continent.
The centre is developing an audiovisual encyclopaedia of Asian music and its museum displays feature touch screens, which allow visitors access a database and learn about the artefacts being exhibited.
The Prince took up the challenge of accompanying a pre-recorded Asian performer, or "virtual guru" - a device used to train music students.
The Prince took the microphone and mimicked the sound of the pre-recorded voice as the computer screen displayed a moving graph.
At the end of the microphone session, The Prince turned to his wife, The Duchess of Cornwall, and said: "Oh, well!"
Earlier, Their Royal Highnesses had played on one of the many instruments on display at the centre, the gendair, a xylophone-type instrument, and hit its metal bars gently with beaters.
They were also given a demonstration of the guqin, a Chinese stringed musical instrument.
The AMC's Chief Executive, Viram Jasani, gave The Prince and The Duchess a guided tour of the musical instruments on display at the centre, which included everything from the well known sitar, used in pop music from The Beatles to the present day, and lesser known items like the five-stringed, banjo-like rabab, from Uzbekistan.
Before leaving the centre's museum area, The Prince entered a "sound beam chamber" and was told by a staff member to wave his hands around and, as he did, notes could be heard as he broke beams of light.
Before The Prince and The Duchess left, they were treated to a performance by renowned Indian artist, Bireshwar Gautam, a singer and Kathak dancer.
The performer was teaching a group of school children from East Acton Primary about the art of "abhinaya" and the vocal style of thumri.
Mr Gautam used exaggerated hand movements to tell a story as he sang along to music performed by tabla player, Hanif Khan, and Murad Ali played a bowed string instrument called the sarangi.
Their Royal Highnesses smiled broadly as they watched the youngsters follow the performers' hand movements and sing along.
As Their Royal Highnesses left the building, which opened last September, they were treated to a performance by three south Indian Nadaswaram musicians and spoke to well-wishers who had gathered to greet them before leaving.
Later in the day, The Prince of Wales as President and Founder of The Prince’s School for Traditional Arts, visited the annual Degree Show to meet staff and students and view the new works on display as part of the show.
The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts aims to teach Arts and Crafts skills which have profound roots in all the major faith traditions. Its courses are centred on its Visual Islamic and Traditional Arts Programmes, post-graduate masters and doctoral degrees, which are validated by the University of Wales. The School’s courses combine theory and practice. They include geometry, Islamic architecture, icon painting, tilemaking, Islimi/Arabesque, stained glass and mosaic craft.
The school is also developing outreach and education programmes for Muslim countries and younger people, establishing vocational courses to teach craft, and building links with institutions, especially in the Arab and Asian worlds.
For further information about The Prince’s School for Traditional Arts visit the website at www.princesschoolfortraditionalarts.org.