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| Claude Deppa |
Some of the UK’s most acclaimed musicians will be performing at Morecambe’s newest music venue this autumn.
Acts including award-winning jazz vocalist Ian Shaw and Roddy Woomble, lead singer of rock band Idlewild, will be joined by new artists like Rae Morris who has just been signed by Atlantic Records and is tipped for great things. They will all be performing at the Hothouse in the Lancashire seaside resort this autumn/winter – the latest venture of community music and education charity More Music, which is also presenting a Community Open Day this Saturday from 1-5pm.
The first More Music Presents gig features seven artists from Grand Union Orchestra who take to the stage on October 20. The line-up features one of the UK’s most influential jazz musicians, trumpeter Claude Deppa and sitar player Baluji Shrivastav who performed at the Paralympics closing ceremony. All of the artists will be supported by and play alongside local musicians; Grand Union Orchestra will share the stage with Chas Ambler and The Long Walk Chinese Ensemble. Members of the orchestra will also be taking part in workshops in the resort earlier in the day.
On November 22, Roddy Woomble will be supported by Cumbrian banjo player Bill Lloyd and The Lakeland Fiddlers; Blackpool singer-songwriter Rae Morris will be at the venue on December 7 performing alongside local youngster Katy Pickles.
The final concert this year will be Ian Shaw, who has twice been named ‘Best Jazz Vocalist’ at the BBC Jazz Awards. He will be performing a version of Steve Wonder’s Heaven Help Us All at the end of his gig on December 15, alongside Lancaster musician Howard Haigh and The Millennium Choir.
All of the acts have been chosen by a committee made up of members of the public which was set up by More Music Presents this summer. Development director Kathryn MacDonald said: “We want to bring in professional musicians and encourage them to work alongside the wealth of local talent there is out there. It’s not just another concert venue, we will only be booking interesting music and something you wouldn’t hear anywhere else locally.”
The building in Devonshire Road has recently been completely refurbished through a £30,000 Paul Hamlyn Foundation grant and now has a lift, performance space for 250 people, bar and a new PA and light system. Other events being staged at the venue include a selection of short films about the best disability arts events around the world. The afternoon event on December 6 is hosted by Twisted Blister.
Tickets for all events are priced from £6.
For more information and to book tickets for the gigs and workshops go to www.moremusic.org.uk.
I've been delighted to be involved in this as a member of the More Music Programming Group, though my contribution feels small! So excited.