Just under 3,000 people - twice the number expected - flocked to Wiltshire
Music Centre on Saturday to join in the Centre's 10th birthday celebrations,
Live & Free @ WMC.
Staff, volunteers and trustees were delighted with the response,
particularly as many of the attenders, including families, young people and
senior citizens from all over the county, had not visited Wiltshire Music
Centre before.
Performance highlights included the polished junk percussionists Weapons of
Sound, who thrilled two packed out audiences, who danced and sung along with
the musicians - ears have only just stopped ringing! In a completely
different style, renowned jazz pianist, Jason Rebello, whose many
performance credits include tours and recordings with Sting, wowed visitors
with a stunning display of melodic jazz, joined by Jim Smith on saxophone -
the perfect music for a sunny afternoon.
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Elsewhere, hundreds joined in salsa workshops and then practised their new
skills to the sounds of Afro-Cuban dance band K'Chevre; while Alex Lupo of
Bristol-based ska, reggae and hip-hop band, Babyhead ran a music technology
workshop for local teenagers, who were able to burn a CD of their efforts to
take home.
Music Makers taster sessions were overflowing with tiny tots and the air was
full of the sounds of percussion instruments made out of junk by older
children, led by Venetia Shah-Daydu whose festival credits include
Glastonbury and WOMAD. Throughout the day, talented Jazz Factory musicians
invited people to join in or just enjoy their jamming sessions and
accomplished performances, while members of Singing in the Round entertained
with their beautiful harmony singing.
The accompanying food, craft and plant stalls were also popular with
attenders - many left with bulging gift bags crammed with everything from
jewellery and pottery to Turkish delight and bedding plants. Meanwhile, the
food stallholders were so good at tempting taste buds with a hog roast,
Chinese noodles, tasty Black Farmer sausages, savoury Indian delicacies, or
delicious tea home-made cake, that many sold out completely! The bouncy
castle and human table football also went down well.
Keith Nimmo, CEO and Artistic Director of Wiltshire Music Centre enthused:
"We are absolutely delighted - everyone had a marvellous day, which was
spectacularly successful in drawing in new audiences for their first visit
to the Centre and to attract over twice as many people as we were hoping for
is a fantastic bonus. I feel sure everyone will have gone away feeling they
had just enjoyed a really special and memorable day out. I'd also like to
take the opportunity to thank all the staff, volunteers and everyone else
involved, whose tremendous hard work made the event possible".
In a fitting world-class finale to this special day, a sold out evening
concert with the Budapest Gypsy Orchestra took place in the evening.
For more information, or to join the mailing list, contact the Wiltshire
Music Centre box office on 01225 860100, or online at
www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk.
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