Liverpool Philharmonic provides free tickets to Liverpool City Region's Secondary Schools

LIVERPOOL Philharmonic is delighted to announce that it is offering over 400 free concert tickets to local Secondary Schools. Students will have the unique opportunity to experience the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra perform masterpieces by composers such as:- Beethoven, Brahms and Mozart live from the iconic Philharmonic Hall.

Liverpool Philharmonic believes that listening to live orchestral music enhances students' understanding and appreciation of music while also contributing to their personal and academic growth. Concerts for this programme have been specially chosen for their alignment with the main GCSE and A Level curriculum boards, supporting teachers and students with their musical education.

This initiative builds upon the success of the 2022 programme, which provided 434 free tickets to School groups in the Region. Feedback from participating Schools highlighted the positive impact seeing the live Orchestra had in supporting their musical education and inspiring them to further musical study and enjoyment.

A teacher from a participating School stated:- "Thank you for organising our free tickets. The concert was absolutely incredible. Giving our young people the opportunity to come and visit the Liverpool Philharmonic was 1 they will never forget. 2 of my 6th Form students had never been, and they got to listen to their set work study (the Rite of Spring) in its full blown glory. This Schools' programme is so valuable to us as teachers, and the students really get so much out of it."

Peter Garden, Executive Director Performance and Learning said:- "We are delighted to be able to provide free tickets to our local students and provide much needed resource to teachers. Live performances are deeply inspiring for young people and we hope these experiences can ignite a passion for music that stays with them throughout their lives. We are committed to making classical music accessible to all, and this initiative is a testament to that commitment. By offering free tickets to Liverpool's Secondary Schools, we aim to inspire the next generation of music enthusiasts and provide students with a unique and enriching cultural experience."

This year, Schools will be able to access free tickets for a range of performances throughout the season from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, visiting guest conductors and performers, the:- Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, and the contemporary series Ensemble 10:10. Highlights include:-

• Thursday, 5 October 2023; Beethoven's Mass in C. Performed by guest soloists including:- Jennifer France, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir and conducted by Matthew Halls.
   

• Thursday, 23 November 2023; Brahms' Double Concerto. Performed by violist and Liverpool Philharmonic's Artist in Residence Simone Lamsma, alongside cellist Victor Julien Laferrière and conducted by Domingo Hindoyan.
   

• Saturday, 27 January 2023; Mozart's Birthday Celebration. Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra's very own star players; Cormac Henry and Elizabeth McNulty; step forward in Mozart's enchanting Flute and Harp Concerto, while Nil Venditti conducts the majestic:- 'Jupiter' symphony and the playful Symphony No.29.
   

• Thursday, 21 March 2023; Free But Happy. The Orchestra perform Brahms's Symphony No.3, Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No.2 with violinist Arabella Steinbacher, and Enescu's Romanian Rhapsody No.1.
   

• Sunday, 20 April 2023; Symphonie Fantastique. Ariane Matiakh makes her Liverpool conducting debut with Charles Koechlin's Vers la voûte étoilée (Visions of the starry firmament), Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir performing Poulenc's Gloria.

All Secondary Schools within the Liverpool City Region are eligible to apply for tickets to these performances. Please contact:- Learning@LiverpoolPhil.com for more information.

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra with Chief Conductor Domingo Hindoyan

The Bear and The Reindeer are coming to Southport this Christmas!

THE dazzling illuminated figures are being brought to Southport for families to enjoy this Christmas period. The new character installations, provided by Southport BID, will sit either side of the sparkling 60ft LED Christmas tree in Southport's Town Hall Gardens this festive period.

The Bear stands at over 18ft tall and the Reindeer stands at over 13ft tall, making them perfect for taking pictures with family members.

Southport's Christmas tree, along with The Bear and The Reindeer will be installed in November.

It takes a military style operation by a team of lighting experts to ferry all the pieces of the huge tree to the town centre by wagon, before carefully assembling it.

Once installed, it will sparkle with a series of mesmerising colour changing displays thanks to 25,000 LED pixels.

The festive attractions will add to the stunning:- 'Boulevard of Light' in a scheme led by Southport BID.

It saw 300,000 lights installed along both sides of Lord Street in 2021, giving a huge boost to local shops, restaurants, bars, hotels and guest houses.

Thousands of Christmas decorations are also put in place throughout Southport centre each year through Southport BID.

To celebrate the arrival of the characters, a story writing competition for young people will be launched later in September to find the official story of:- 'The Bear and the Reindeer.' More details will be released soon.

Southport BID CEO Rachel Fitzgerald said:- "The Bear and The Reindeer will build on the experience of the LED Christmas tree which is 1 of Southport's most popular attractions and brings in thousands of people each year. They will add to more than 200,000 festive lights, the signature Christmas tree, the:- 'Boulevard of Light,' lamppost motifs, overhead welcome signs, roundabout decorations and more trees across the town centre. People will be able to experience The Bear and The Reindeer at our Festive Fun Day, on:- Thursday, 18 November 2023, which will involve performances on the Lord Street Bandstand, and lots more Christmas fun in Southport town centre."