Enhancing and enriching children’s learning through partnerships with professional arts companies, creative adults, and cultural organisations. This year, the programme is going digital! Join us for Gaspard’s Foxtrot– a digital concert experience featuring the popular children’s book character, Gaspard the Fox. Narrated by author Zeb Soanes and presented by animateur Lucy Drever, the orchestral tale follows Gaspard accidentally boarding a bus to London and exploring the sights, sounds and smells of the city before trying to find his way home. What is it like seeing your story illustrated with such beautiful, warm artwork by James Mayhew? What was your working relationship like? What do you think James’s illustrations add to the story?

The programme is only open to schools in Scotland due to licensing. If you teach at a Scottish school but are currently based outside Scotland, you are welcome to register for the programme providing the details of the school at which you teach. Unfortunately, the programme is only open to schools. We would encourage you to share the programme with your child’s teacher/school and ask them to consider registering.

Supported by

With a variety of in-person and digital opportunities for young learners, primary and secondary schools, and teachers, this year’s activity builds on last year’s successful National Schools Concert Programme, ensuring that everyone can take part. This title provides a model for the teaching of literacy, art and music – now that is the kind of 3 for the price of 1 we all want on our bookshelves! A super next read for fans of The Queen’s Hatby Steve Antony (which was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra) and the perfect bridging text to Peter and the Wolf. At a time when staycations and outdoor performance are gaining enormous popularity, this is a timely tale to encourage children to enjoy the arts in any way available to them. So join with us and ‘civilise’ the next generation by immersing them in the words, art and music of this incredible picture book that will inspire a lifelong love of culture in all its many facets. Alongside the digital concert, you will have access to digital resources, an online workshop with Lucy Drever, and teacher CPD. Lucy Drever will host two live sessions online in advance of the concert! Expect fun and games, links to the resources, what to expect from the concert and some special RSNO guests.

The vocabulary is delightfully challenging. Phrases such as ‘civilise the bees’ and ‘brightly lit signs enticed tourists’, make this a joy to read aloud and ideal for enriching children’s own writing. The story really does read well. I laughed out loud when Peter, who is my favourite character (as both a cat lover and a lexophile!), fell off the sofa in surprise to see his fox pal take the stage. I have been a huge devotee of James Mayhew’s books for children for a while now – his Katieseries and Koshka’s Tales, for example, have delighted the children I have shared them with. James’ art style is infused with warmth, love and light and during these times, when we feel rather deprived of comfort, I can think of nothing better than to immerse myself in his welcoming illustrations. There is something infinitely reassuring about his pictures – they manage to capture characters and life at its best, while retaining their unique quality. For me, he is one of the best illustrators we have nowadays. Described by the Telegraphas ‘the go-to person for music narration’,Zeb performs with the UK’s leading orchestras, narrating children’s classics such as Peter and the Wolfand technically demanding works such as Walton's Façadewhich he recorded to critical acclaim with John Wilson. I don’t like feeling I’m being preached at, so I hope the themes in the Gaspard books are almost homeopathic … just there, running throughout. Digital concert films, to watch in the classroom, in multiple languages including British Sign Language, Gaelic, French, Polish, Chinese, Urdu, Romanian and Arabic.The endpapers provide fox facts and all the places of interest along the route. This wonderful illustration posed quite a challenge for illustrator, James Mayhew, as he painstakingly recreated each side street and landmark to accurately represent the bus route from Islington to Hyde Park. Fans of Mayhew’s hugely successful and utterly delightful Katie books (including Katie In Londonand Katie’s London Christmas) will be delighted with this new journey through the capital. Join us for Gaspard's Foxtrot - the RSNO's 2022 National Schools Concert Programme - featuring free concerts across Scotland, a special concert film, teaching resources, and more! The National Schools Concert Programme is developed in line with the Curriculum for Excellence and aims to benefit pupils and teachers by: Equipping teachers with the skills and increased knowledge that they need to confidently deliver music in the classroom.

Ensuring that pupils can benefit from the positive holistic impact on learning and engagement that musical education can bring. I was saddened to read that there has been ‘a spate of attempts around the world to remove titles depicting gay or transgender characters from library shelves’ (The Guardian, January 2019). Why do you think children’s books that explore the lives of gay and transgender characters and present a variety of relationships are still so important? Charlotte’s Web comes instantly to mind from my childhood reading; where a spider saves a pig from being killed by weaving inspirational messages into her web above the pig-sty. It’s a beautiful story. As your child becomes familiar with the story they may like to join in as you read for example with the sound effects and some of the conversations. Talk about the story I know you grew up in Lowestoft, which was also a favourite place for my family to visit every year when we went on holiday to Norfolk. When you moved to London, did you feel like Gaspard at all – overwhelmed by the business and bustle?Book Two will be published in August and I’m already working on a third. Fred is yet to make an appearance, but you’ve just given me an idea 😉

Is the programme also appropriate for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)? Gaspard’s foxtrotis an artistic and musical joy of a picture book, created by two of the nicest people you are ever likely to meet. To truly indulge in this story it must be heard read aloud by the dulcet tones of author Zeb Soanes (who you may recognise from BBC Radio 4) and the ultimate experience would of course be attendance at one of the live orchestral performances with Jonathan Dove, which will happen as soon as permitted. Nobody is born into this world with racist, ageist or homophobic beliefs, we learn them, so children’s books are the perfect place to instil early messages of kindness and humanity. “individual lessons with accompanying short videos, written and presented by Lucy Drever, and focusing on various aspects of the programme. Teacher CPD Session: Wednesday 24March 4-5.30pm