Workington to stage classical music festival
Last updated at 09:35, Friday, 30 July 2010
A two-day light classical music festival will be held in Workington in September.
Urban Classical 2010, on Saturday, September 11, and Sunday, September 12, will feature a 55-strong orchestra, a renowned string quartet and a firework display. The festival will cost about £60,000 to stage.
Workington Rotarian John Head, one of the festival organisers, said: “We hope this will help bring the community back together after the tragic few months we have had, and make popular classical more accessible.”
Mr Head, who helped to organise the Paint the Town Red event in August 2008, said he wanted the classical music weekend to become an annual event.
Derwent Park stadium will play host to a Proms-style Picnic in the Park with the Manchester Camerata on the Saturday.
The orchestra will entertain a capacity crowd of 4,000 people with songs from films, including the James Bond series.
Peter Nelson, owner of Keswick’s James Bond museum, will exhibit some memorabilia.
The second half of the concert will be in the style of the Last Night of the Proms, featuring the 1812 Overture. The evening will culminate in a fireworks finale.
On the following evening, the famous Simon Bolivar String Quartet from Venezuela will perform in Our Lady and St Michael’s Church at Banklands.
The festival is being organised by the Rotary club, Allerdale council and Whitehaven’s Rosehill Theatre.
It has been funded by Cumbria Community Foundation, Allerdale council, Britain’s Energy Coast and local businesses.
Tickets will be available from tomorrow and cost £10 for adults and £5 for under-18s.
First published at 19:27, Thursday, 29 July 2010
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk
Presumably the funding not recouped through ticket sales will come (in as-yet undisclosed proportions)from the Cumbria Community Foundation, Allerdale Council, Britain's Energy Coast and local businesses?
Ultimately it will come indirectly from us, one way or another, via the aforementioned contributors.Money well spent, I say; I hope it is a success! Workington could build on its past cultural musical heritage (Carnegie Music Festivals; Eisteddfod) so that when the curtain eventually falls on the last vestiges of heavy industry, the town will be ready to contribute fully to the growing West Cumbria arts and tourism scene that now support neighbouring Maryport and Whitehaven.View all 3 comments on this article
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Im all for these events which bring the community together, but can I say, the event name leaves a lot to be desired.
Posted by Jason on 4 August 2010 at 20:19