WILTSHIRE Music Centre and Bath Festivals have joined forces to put on a special performance on Saturday, May 19 of Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth.
It is the centre piece of the community engagement weekend to celebrate the 70th Anniversary Bath Festival and the 20th Anniversary of the Wiltshire Music Centre.
The performance will feature a children’s choir, comprising pupils from The Mead Community Primary School in Trowbridge and Selwood Academy in Frome as part of a large scale special schools’ project that is being delivered by Wiltshire Music Centre.
The schools’ and community chorus project forms part of Wiltshire Music Centre’s annual Creative Learning Programme.
Throughout the summer term, students have been exploring the timeliness themes and fantastic music of West Side Story, as part of musical theatre workshops delivered in partnership with Prime Theatre, Swindon.
The children’s choirs from the two special schools will be joined by the Wiltshire Music Centre chorus and a cast of soloists that feature rising stars at the start of their professional career, as well as more established artists.
John Porter is singing Tony while Maria is sung by Gemma Summerfield, who in 2015 won the distinguished Kathleen Ferrier Prize - the leading international competition that sifts out the young stars of tomorrow.
All other soloists are currently training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
James Slater, Artistic Director at the Wiltshire Music Centre, said: "We are delighted to be working with such a wonderful group of local musicians, music leaders and school children, alongside some of our visiting professional artists and ensembles, to bring these this significant partnership project to life.”
Timothy Redmond, Professor of Conducting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and regular guest conductor with the London Symphony and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras, will conduct the Bath Philharmonia in this musical collaboration.
The performance will take place at The Forum in Bath on Saturday, May 19 at 7.30pm. Tickets from £9 for concessions to £25 are on sale at the Forum.
Book now: wiltshiremusic.org.uk or on 01225 860100, or bathfestivals.org.uk or on 01225 463362.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here