TALENTED Dagenham violinist, 12-year-old Azita Mehdinejad, has won a place in the National Children’s Orchestra. Azita, of Ilchester Road, was first introduced to music at Dorothy Barley School and when Barking and Dagenham Council’s Community Music Service (CMS) visited the school, it was through them that Azita started attending lessons by violin teacher, Michael Rogers.

Azita said: “I would really like to thank the CMS for the free lessons they provide every weekend. I was up against lots of musicians at the audition who have private lessons and who belong to the Royal Academy of Music, so without these lessons I wouldn’t have stood a chance. When the CMS came to my school I had already started playing the guitar and then the keyboard. But my love of music led me to the violin and I have now been playing for just over four years.”

Azita decided to audition for the National Children’s Orchestra when her mum, Jacqui, picked up a leaflet in a local library. Without any high expectations, Azita travelled to London last September to attend the auditions. Azita, who now attends Cooper Company and Cobom School in Upminster, said: “I was really shocked and surprised to hear I had received a place. There were people from all over the UK auditioning and only 30 places for violinists available.”

As a member of the Orchestra, Azita has already performed in a concert at Exeter University and has been on a course in Somerset. Azita added: “The course was the best experience of my life. They taught me how to hold the violin properly, how to improve my sight reading and how to conduct.”

Executive Member for Culture, Cllr Jeff Porter said: “We are extremely proud to have someone so talented representing the Borough. I know how difficult it must have been to gain a place in the National Children’s Orchestra and would like to wish her the best of luck.” Azita will perform in the Orchestra’s 25th Anniversary Concert in August and will re-audition in September to keep her place.

THIS EVENT was hosted by the two Associations of Bahá’í Women from the North and the South of Ireland from April 25–27. Both women and men explored the concept of equal wings through a series of participative workshops based on the “Equal Wings Training Manual for the Advancement of Women”. This was our first joint project, which was a long time getting off the ground, but finally it did and soared beautifully! Over forty people from the four corners of Ireland participated, including friends of Bahá’ís. There was a diversity of age, gender and circumstances, which enhanced the quality, joy and dynamism of the weekend.

Highlights of the weekend included: the beauty of the venue, Dromantine Retreat and Conference Centre near Newry, set in the quiet of the countryside surrounded by rolling hills, with its lake, cherry trees and woodlands: the high standard of the accommodation, the good food and the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff and the workshops themselves. The careful sequencing was evident on the Sunday morning in the workshop, “Take My Stance”, when participants had to explain their position on a series of “loaded” statements, which could have been more difficult to do earlier in the weekend.

The workshop facilitators, Sara Claire, Natalie, Táhirih, Les, Susan, Ken and Sabina, created an atmosphere of friendliness, trust and safety, encouraging good discussion, honesty and sharing of ideas and deepest thoughts. The creative art and writing section resulted in some wonderful contributions to the proposed “Equal Wings” booklet based around quotations from the compilation “Women”, which will be distributed to community groups and women’s organisations.

Hazel Holmlund gave an excellent informative keynote presentation on Saturday afternoon. Hazel looked at the life and works of three early pioneers of women’s rights, Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Ann McCracken, (a sister of the United Irishman, Henry Joy McCracken), and Táhirih, who between them represented the political, social and spiritual aspects of women’s rights. Hazel went on to speak of the international development of women’s rights and recent UN conferences plus current Government policies. She also spoke of the work of UNIFEM and the Women’s Forum in Northern Ireland.

Saturday night’s entertainment was of a very high calibre: the first performance was a moving dramatic monologue written and performed by Jennifer Howlett. Jennifer, in the guise of a journalist, recounted her meetings with Martha Root and their conversations about Táhirih and the Bahá’í Faith. Then John Billington, a professional musician from England, played selection of Irish airs and some pieces he composed himself. We were very privileged to have John play for us. John is visiting Northern Ireland in order to assist the Celtic Lyre Orchestra with their first public performance in May.

There followed a dramatic reading of the life and martyrdom of Táhirih, “Behind the Veil”, performed by Sarah Munroe. Performed for the most part from behind a curtain, (representing Táhirih’s own experience when speaking in public), the acoustics, props, lighting and music as well as the conviction, dignity and strength of Sarah’s performance gripped and enthralled us all. Sarah was ably assisted by Eddie Whiteside as narrator, and Kerri Whiteside. After a short break, the evening ended with a bedtime meditation through The Seven Valleys led by Flora Todaro Luck.

All in all a very successful weekend, which also helped fulfil a long-standing goal of collaboration between the two national communities on the island.