Create Yarmouth part of BBC Proms Hippodrome summer season
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The world’s greatest classical music festival comes to Great Yarmouth Hippodrome Circus Theatre on 8 September 2023 as part of the BBC Proms’ ‘Proms at’ concerts across the UK. The BBC Concert Orchestra will be led by their newly appointed Chief Conductor Anna-Maria Helsing, and the programme will feature orchestral favourites fitting for the iconic circus venue, from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel to Stravinsky’s Circus Polka as well as the world première of Seascapes, a brand-new commission by Norfolk based composer Sarah Rodgers.
The Proms concert is part of Create Yarmouth, an exciting three-year residency by the BBC Concert Orchestra in partnership with Orchestras Live, which is involving the diverse community of Great Yarmouth in a wide range of inspirational orchestral experiences. The BBC Concert Orchestra's residency began in January 2022 and the projects they have delivered so far include free interactive workshops and performances for primary schools, a composition project enabling young musicians and their teachers to develop their co-creation skills, and innovative and entertaining concerts for the local community.
The programme on 8 September at the Great Yarmouth Hippodrome will include Khachaturian’s ballet Masquerade, Walton’s coronation march Crown Imperial and Vaughan Williams’s breath-taking piece for solo violin and orchestra, The Lark Ascending.
There will also be a BBC Young Composer Day in Great Yarmouth on 9 September, giving young musicians aged 12 - 18 the opportunity to explore their creativity, learn from leading composers, songwriters and producers, and get insights into the professional music industry.
David Pickard, Director, BBC Proms, says:
“I am delighted to present this Prom as part of the BBC Concert Orchestra’s three-year commitment to the communities in Great Yarmouth, through their partnership with Orchestras Live. Since its inception in 1895, the mission of the Proms has been to bring the best of classical music, performed to the highest of standards, to the widest possible audience. I hope audiences in Great Yarmouth will be enjoy the programme, which features pieces appropriate for this spectacular venue, and that audiences at home will appreciate the experience live on Radio 3 and available on BBC Sounds.”
Sarah Derbyshire MBE, CEO of Orchestras Live, says:
“As lead producer for the Create Yarmouth residency, Orchestras Live is thrilled the BBC Proms is including the BBC Concert Orchestra’s Great Yarmouth concert in this year’s festival. It’s been fantastic to work with the Orchestra to put orchestral music at the heart of Great Yarmouth’s cultural life and to see the enthusiasm of so many people, of all ages, as they engage with the musicians in different ways. The inclusion of a new commission from Sarah Rodgers is a perfect example of the spirit of collaboration that has been clear throughout the project between the people of Norfolk and an iconic national orchestra. The BBC Proms performance will be a wonderful way to celebrate the achievements of everyone involved.”
As with all BBC Proms, the concert will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and will be available on BBC Sounds.