Turner Sims announces Southampton’s Musical Alphabet
The University of Southampton’s Turner Sims presents Southampton’s Musical Alphabet - an A-Z of music in 26 hours across Southampton this weekend as part of Music Nation Weekend.
On Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 March, musicians will take over Southampton to perform an unprecedented 26 hours of alphabetical music. Throughout the weekend the city will come alive with a multitude of sounds as internationally-renowned artists, local professionals, community groups and young people's ensembles join together to take us from A to Z all in 26 hours. The weekend features three world premieres and a total of over 50 events performed by over 500 performers in 23 locations.
Music Nation is the first nationwide countdown event for the London 2012 Festival. The weekend of events, led by the BBC and taking place across the UK, will run from 10am to 11pm on Saturday and Sunday in Southampton, launching one letter in each hour.
Over the weekend audiences will be able to experience:
- bell ringing at Bitterne Park church
- chamber music at the Dolphin Hotel
- performance poetry in the City Art Gallery
- tango in West Quay
- internationally renowned violinist Chloe Hanslip performing with Southampton Youth Orchestra
- African drumming in Guildhall Square
- nursery rhymes at the Eastpoint Centre
Turner Sims Manager Kevin Appleby says: “Our aim with Southampton’s Musical Alphabet is to celebrate the international dimension of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in a hugely diverse city, whose young people speak some 70 languages and which, through its maritime, cruise ship and other transport links, has welcomed visitors to the UK for centuries, but is also one of the country’s key gateways to the world. The line-up for the weekend promises to be a fantastic musical melting pot as part of this exciting national celebration.”
Southampton’s Musical Alphabet Project Manager, Kath Page from Southampton Music Services, says “It has been a delight to project manage Southampton's Musical Alphabet. I have met many wonderful people over the last few months and the amount of musical talent in Southampton is overwhelming. This is an event that the city of Southampton can be proud of and I am thrilled to have been a part of it.”
Pick up a SMA guide and map to take you round the festival at venues across the city and please visit http://www.turnersims.co.uk/musical-alphabet for full and further details.