London 2012: Music Nation events and venues

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Bellowhead
Image caption,
Bellowhead will be working with a youth orchestra from Wiltshire

A list of the events confirmed so far across the UK for Music Nation, a weekend of live and orchestral events next March which will form part of the Cultural Olympiad for London 2012.

Belfast

Saturday 3 March, Belfast Waterfront Hall Foyer Spaces

AMaking Musicproject, the British Gospel Arts Consortium Ltd mixes gospel children's voices with steel pan musicians to create a new piece of music in the 'Spirit of the Olympian'.

Sunday 4 March, Belfast Waterfront Hall

Ulster OrchestraandRTE Concert Orchestrasperform together for the first time in a concert celebrating the Island of Ireland

Birmingham

Saturday 3 March, Symphony Hall

TheCity of Birmingham Symphony Orchestraconducted by Andris Nelsons performs Wagner's Tristan and Isolde.

Bristol

Sunday 4 March, St George's

Bradford

Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 March, Salts Mill & El Shaddai Christian Centre

Culmination of a three year collaboration between theSouthbank Sinfonia, theBradford Youth Orchestra, South Asian arts organisationKala Sangam,Hammonds Saltaire Brass Band,Bradford Cathedral Choristers, local folk and rock bands and the National Media Museum.

Chester

Saturday 3 March, Town Hall Square

Handbag Of Harmoniespresents a mass performance of one of the anthems from Across The World, a brand new 'short' opera in partnership with Theatre in the Quarter, eight local schools, Chester Mystery Plays andMaking Music.

Cockermouth

Saturday 3 March, Christ Church

Orchestras LivepresentsThe Scottish Ensemblein partnership with the Cockermouth Music Society, featuring a new work by James Macmillan for trumpeter Alison Balsam.

Derby

Saturday 3 March, Assembly Rooms

TheSinfonia ViVAin concert featuring the World Première of Invocation - a concerto for Cello, orchestra, African Percussion and solo contemporary African dancer. Plus new choreography of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring in partnership with young dancers from Derby.

Devon and Cornwall

Saturday 3 March, Plymouth Pavilions

A night with theBBC Concert Orchestraand the Cornwall & Devon Family Orchestras.

Sunday 4 March, various locations

TheBBC Concert Orchestraworking with a network of partners across Devon and Cornwall and BBC Devon & Cornwall to produce a regional festival of music from Land's End to Exmoor involving local ensembles from bell ringers to brass bands, folk groups to the local philharmonic.

Dorset

Saturday 3 March, Sturminster, The Exchange

Sunday 4 March, at Portesham Village Hall

Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 March, Weymouth & various locations

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra,Bournemouth Symphony Chorus, the Dorset Youth Orchestra. The Chalk Legends.

Essex

Saturday 3 March, Saffron Walden

TheBritten Sinfoniain partnership with theSaffron Walden Choral Society,The Granta ChoraleandSignuptoSingperform a specially commissioned cantata involving all the partners in MazeMusic. Members of Britten Sinfonia will also be running composing workshops with Saffron Walden County High School students and selected compositions will be performed in the concert.

Gateshead

Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 March,The Sage, Gateshead

A weekend of events, master-classes and workshops themed around invitation; "…come and play, come and sign, come and listen."

Glasgow

Saturday 3 March, Clyde Auditorium

TheBBC Scottish Symphony Orchestraand Chief Conductor Donald Runnicles will lead a celebration of musical and sporting achievement, featuring Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti, members of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, the National Youth Choir of Scotland, students from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and children from Big Noise, the El Sistema inspired-project based on the Raploch Estate in Stirling.

Celebrating sport through music, the concert will include John Williams' Olympic Fanfare, and the world premiere of a newly commissioned fanfare from acclaimed Scottish composer James MacMillan.

Essex

Grays

AMaking Musicproject,Harmonie Concert Bandworking with Aaron Parker under Making Music's Adopt a Composer scheme.

Humberside

Sunday 4 March, City Hall, Hull

Orchestras Livepresent theScottish Ensemblewith trumpeter Alison Balsom.

Leeds

Saturday 3 March, Town Hall

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestrawith conductor Christian Lindberg and soloist Allesandro Taverna.

Lincolnshire

Saturday 3 March, Stamford Arts Centre

Orchestras Livepresents a concert with the European Union Chamber Orchestra and violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky.

Liverpool

Sunday 4 March, Philharmonic Hall

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestrawith conductor Christian Lindberg and soloist Allesandro Taverna.

London

Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 March, Roundhouse

BBC Singers,Voices NowandMaking Musiclead a weekend of choral music-making in London and throughout England, culminating in a large scale event in the Roundhouse in Camden. Celebrating the diverse culture of choral singing and vocal groups found in five English regions (North West, North East, Midlands, Berks & Herts) and in London (Lewisham, Harrow), this project is already underway in partnership with the Roundhouse and Voices Now along with Making Music.

Saturday 3 March, King's Place

Academy of St Martin in the Fieldsis working with Kings Place to create a weekend of music and education events, inspired by the music of Brahms. Alongside two concerts, the Academy will present the culmination of its Musical Torch education project in Islington schools, where participants will create sequential improvisations on Brahms' second serenade.

Saturday 3 March, London Symphony Orchestra, St Luke's

LSOOn Track, sees a morning of workshops and performance, featuring a live link up with young musicians in Beijing, where the LSO will be touring.

Saturday 3 March, Cadogan Hall

City Of London Sinfoniapresents a programme of music and projected photography featuring excerpts from Captain Scott's diary and last letters. Conducted by Stephen Layton the Holst Singers and narrated by Ben Fogle.

Sat 3 - Sun 4 March, Barbican Weekender, Barbican Centre

A weekend of cross-arts activity presented by the Barbican with collaborators BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Guildhall School, Serious, Create and Bigga Fish

Saturday 3 March, Urban Classic, Barbican Hall

Performers from the UK's urban music scene working with a symphony orchestra. Workshops over the weekend and a concert in the Barbican Hall on the evening of 3 March. The evening will feature special arrangements of grime, hip hop and classical music. The Barbican, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Bigga Fish creative learning teams will work together to involve the local community resulting in performances across the open spaces of the Barbican Centre.

Saturday 3 March, Guildhall School Opera - A Midsummer Night's Dream, Barbican Theatre

Ahead of the one hundredth anniversary of Britten's birth, Guildhall School singers and musicians present one of the composer's most spellbinding works, conducted by Stephen Barlow, directed by Martin Lloyd-Evans and designed by Dick Bird.

Saturday 3 March, Linking London & Beijing, St Luke's

LSOOn Track, a morning of workshops and performance, featuring a live link-up with young musicians in Beijing.

Sunday 4 March, BBC Symphony Orchestra with Rufus Wainwright, Five Sonnets, Barbican Hall

The BBC Symphony Orchestra presents the UK premiere of Rufus Wainwright's setting of five Shakespeare sonnets to a full orchestral score.

Saturday 3, Sunday 4 March, Simon Dybbroe Møller, The Curve, Barbican Centre

Berlin-based, Danish artist Simon Dybbroe Møller, working in collaboration with musicians from the London Symphony Orchestra, will create a filmic soundscape, featuring vignettes of musicians preparing for and then taking part in a concert.

Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 March, Fairfield Halls, Croydon

Fairfield Hallswill be 50 in 2012 and will begin its anniversary celebrations on the Music Nation weekend. Resident orchestra the London Mozart Players will be working in partnership with composer Roxanna Panufnik, violinist Tasmin Little and local primary schools.

Saturday 3 March,Southbank Centre

Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance's young musicians collaborate with the London Philharmonic Orchestra's Future Firsts and players from the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain to explore Heiner Goebbels' orchestral work Surrogate Cities.

Sunday 4 March, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre

Iván Fischer and theBudapest Festival Orchestraare joined by violinist Renaud Capuçon in a programme of Brahms, Lalo and Rimsky-Korsakov.

Sunday 4 March, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre

TheOrchestra of the Age of Enlightenmentpresents a morning Tots Concert for everyone aged 5 and under, an open rehearsal, an evening all-Bach concert directed by Laurence Cummings and a Night Shift concert in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.

Sunday 4 March

Grand Union Orchestrain association with theWater City Festival Orchestraand the East London World Choir will present What the River Sings, a programme of music exploring trade and migration and their contribution to contemporary British Culture. On a site near the Thames barrier.

Medway Towns

AMaking Musicproject involving many amateur choral and music groups based in Medway towns. Groups will undertake workshops with local schools, which will then participate in the final concert.

Lancashire

Mossley

Abney Orchestraand Choir perform a new piece of music written by young local composer Chris Pickett. The libretto will be based on the industrial revolution in the area. A new children's choir will be formed.

Nottingham

Saturday 3 March, Royal Concert Hall

AMaking Musicproject;Nottingham Youth Orchestra, Sports Nottinghamshire, working with local schools, sports centres and the Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham. Using the Olympic theme and striving towards the Olympic goals they present an evening in which musical reflections on past Olympic cities combine with the aspirations of Nottinghamshire's Olympic hopefuls.

Rutlandshire

Oakham

AMaking Musicproject, the Rutland Concert Band will stage a collaborative performance of music, dance and drama based around the theme of 'Multum In Parvo', meaning "much in little" - Rutland's motto.

Paisley

Sunday 4 March, Paisley Town Hall and Renfrewshire

Paisley Spectacular Group. A day of free music events linked by transport links to the different events in Renfrewshire, with music workshops, master classes and a finale performance in The Hub.

Salford

3 & 4 March, MediaCityUK, The Lowry, The Imperial War Museum North

TheBBC Philharmonicpresents Echoes, a celebration of Salford Quays, the culmination of a large-scale, celebratory creative project, involving the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Salford Family Orchestra and Chorus, Nottingham Family Orchestra and Chorus and local primary schools, premiering a new piece which celebrates the past and future of the Quays.

Shetland

Thursday 1 - Monday 5 March

TheRoyal Scottish National Orchestrawill be resident in the Shetland Islands for its eighth annual Out and About for concerts and participative performances to community events and coaching opportunities.

Sheffield

Saturday 3 March, various locations

Sheffield Philharmonic Chorushosts a multi-site, multi-group day of activity. Featuring Expressions of interest; OutAloud (Sheffield's Lesbian and Gay choir); the University of Sheffield Gospel; Baslow and Sheffield Socialist choirs; South Yorkshire Police; Barnburgh, Dore, New Mill and Honley Male Voice Choirs; composer Heather Fenoughty; Escafeld Chorale; Holme Valley Singers; Sheffield's Oratorio Chorus and Bach Society; the Endcliffe Orchestra; and Ecclesfield Handbell Ringers. Plus a number of young people's groups including, Sheffield Music Academy, Concord Youth Music, soloists from Angels of the North and Sheffield Youth Orchestra.

Shrewsbury

Sunday 4 March

Orchestras Live presents a concert by the Northern Chamber Orchestra with Nicholas Ward and cellist Raphael Wallfisch, cello

Shropshire

Saturday 3 March, Ludlow Assembly Rooms

Orchestras Livepresents a concert by the Academy of Ancient Music with violinist Alina Abragimova.

Southampton

Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 March, various locations

Turner Sims, in partnership with the City of Southampton, presents an A-Z of music across the city launching one letter each hour, starting with A for Acapella. Featured artists include acclaimed British jazz orchestra Tomorrow's Warriors.

Suffolk

Sunday 4 March, The Apex, Bury St Edmunds

Orchestras Livepresents a concert by the the Academy of Ancient Music with violinist Alina Abragimova.

Swindon

Sunday 4 March, Steam Museum, Great Western Hall

New piece from folk group Bellowhead working alongsideSuper Strings, an ensemble of young string players from Wiltshire.

Wales

Saturday 3 March, various locations across the country

Youth Music Partnership Walesin collaboration with theWelsh National Opera, St David's Hall, Wales Millennium Centre, CAGAC (Welsh Music Advisors), Ty Cerdd,National Youth Orchestra of Wales, Can Sing, Making Music, National Museum Cardiff & theRoyal Welsh College of Music and Drama, present the National Flash - flash mob performances based The Marriage of Figaro at venues across Wales.

Sunday 4 March, St David's Hall, Cardiff

BBC National Orchestra of Walesin partnership theRoyal Welsh College of Music and Drama,National Youth Brass Bandand more than 250 young singers from Welsh county choirs present a concert inspired by Wales including a new commission for Music Nation by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins

Saturday 3 March & Sunday 4 March, BBC Hoddinott Hall

BBC National Orchestra of Walesworking with music ensembles from across Wales to create a shared weekend of FREE music making activity.

Wiltshire

Saturday 3 March, Wiltshire Music Centre

Orchestras Livepresents a concert by Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.

Making Music Overture Project

Saturday 3, various locations

Performance premières around the UK of theMaking MusicOverture around the UK on Saturday 3 March.

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