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Wednesday 2 May 2012
MORE than 1,700 people flocked to the city’s new, golden-roofed library last Saturday to watch a feast of live, original music while taking a sneaky peek inside the building before it opens in July.
Everyone from toddlers to pensioners gathered in the atrium and studio to listen to an eclectic mix of local acts, from a children’s choir to rock, as part of the event run by Worcester Music Festival.
A series of workshops, from a music-making session for three to five-year-olds to a demo derby with an expert judging panel, on the first floor were also a hit, with many completely booked up.
Moreover, the bitter weather did not put off the event’s line-up of outdoor performers, who braved the cold to entertain visitors as they entered the four-storey building in Sawmill Walk on The Butts.
Co-ordinator Brian Hoggard, former Worcester Music Festival chairman, said the whole day was a massive success, attracting 1,701 visitors over seven hours, from 12noon until 7pm.
“It was a really happy, varied day with a great atmosphere,” he said. “We had elderly people boogying on the balconies to Das Sexy Clap, a very loud, heavy rock band, through to little ones sitting in the box window seats, listening to the stunning voice of Marie-Claire Berreen, and families bopping along to the infectious, indie folk songs of Richard Clarke & The Rafters in the sound-proof studio. Not something you usually see in a library. An amazing, amazing day all round.”
As well as being a council-commissioned launch event for The Hive, the free entry mini-fest at the all-singing, all-dancing new library and history centre was also a preview of Worcester Music Festival 2012, set to hit the city over the August Bank Holiday weekend (24-27).
The Hive will house a quarter of a million books and over 26,000 records of historic monuments and buildings. It is set to officially open on July 2nd.
For more on Worcester Music Festival, visit www.worcestermusicfestival.co.uk, You can also sign up to follow the festival on Facebook and Twitter. For more on The Hive, visit www.wlhc.org.uk.
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Notes to editors
Worcester Music Festival is an annual event started in 2008 to support and encourage live, local and original music in Worcester and is staged in pubs, clubs, cafes, and historic buildings around or near the city centre. Festival events take place at over 30 venues, with a line-up in the region of 300 bands and musicians. Entry to the majority of venues is free of charge, but there are a few exceptions.
The festival is a non-profit making event run by an enthusiastic team of 25+ volunteers, largely local musicians or people associated with the Worcester music scene. Not only does it provide a showcase for local musical talent of all genres, but it provides education and professional development opportunities through a variety of workshops and clinics. Each year the festival supports different local charities selected from a list of nominations. Money for the charities is raised by way of a raffle, donations, collection buckets at venues and merchandising sales.
Release date: 1st May 2012
