Marton Lange, a Year 8 pupil in the Boys’ Division of Bolton School demonstrated his zither playing skills at the recent Gobe Fest in Manchester’s Cathedral Gardens. Performing with the Manchester Young Zither and Folk Dance Collective, he performed a number of songs at the international festival which is in its seventh year and celebrates the little-known culture and traditions of the Székler people – a group of ethnic Hungarians living in Transylvania, which is part of Romania. Marton performed a solo and gave an interview to BBC Radio Manchester.
Across the weekend of 23-25 June, a wide range of artists performed music and dance, there was a selection of wonderful delicacies from Eastern European countries and workshops focusing on storytelling, folk dance and the zither instrument.
Marton started to play zither last year when the collective was formed. Having taken to the instrument – which is a cross between a guitar and a piano – Marton rehearses weekly in Old Trafford and takes great pride in his playing.
You can learn more about the orchestra through this news article and about Marton’s group (3:14:58) and the festival (1:10) through this BBC Radio Manchester coverage.
