Concerts In The Park: Review

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Sat 30 Jun 2018 - Sun 01 Jul 2018

Glorious sunshine helped bring out the best in the music being performed in Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield, as Concerts in the Park 2018 hit all the right notes with audiences. The crowd basked in the wonderful sunny weather on both Saturday 30 June and Sunday 1 July for Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council's second annual Concerts in the Park event. With headline performances each day from the world-class City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra ( CBSO ) the weekend featured 117 professional artists and 514 community performers.



Saturday's programme saw audiences on their feet and dancing with Swing Era to the sounds of Down for the Count's Vintage Swing Orchestra before Ex Cathedra took to the Sutton Park stage to perform songs from across the centuries. Down for the Count then returned to the stage with their Motown Collective. Saturday headliners CBSO, conducted by Dirk Brossé, filled the park in the evening with musical highlights including the Strauss Overture, Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker and Bernstein's West Side Story as well as Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet: Montagues and Capulets, and Tchaikovsky Sleeping Beauty Waltz, with TVs Josie d'Arby compering the concert. The CBSO were accompanied on some numbers by BBC Strictly Come Dancing vocalist Lance Ellington. The finale saw the audience up on their feet waving their union jack flags to Land of Hope and Glory, Jerusalem and The Can-Can.



On Sunday, the sold-out Family Woodland Concert saw families enjoy performances from a 10-piece ensemble from the CBSO and Ex Cathedra Sing Makers alongside a wonderful range of local choirs – 514 community performers in total graced the various stages. The main stage was compered by BBC Radio WM's Daz Hale whilst in the adjacent woodland area, new for 2018, the acoustic tent included storytelling by Gavin Young, Poetry by Sutton Arts Forum and acoustic performances by local singers and musicians. Throughout Sunday, craft activity was provided by Sutton Coldfield Creation Station including making everything from woodland hats to flags. Silent Noise Events produced a Silent Woodland Disco while Sutton Coldfield Community Games encouraged everyone to join in sports activities including gymnastics, martial arts and table tennis.



Over the course of both days, Floral Jazz, who salvage unwanted musical instruments and turn them into beautiful artistic creations, decorated the site. Refreshments were also provided with artisan food and drink keeping the audience fed and watered, offering everything from pizza, burgers and flatbreads to deli treats, ice cream and crepes. Also, new for 2018, audiences were able to enjoy the Simpson's Gin Bar botanical tent along with firm favourite the re-designed drinks fire engine.

#classical_music
#community_events
#music
#parks
#sutton_coldfield
#june
!date 30/06/2018 -- 01/07/2018
%wnbirmingham