Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment's WeDidThis campaign finished on 23rd October 2011, successfully exceeding its £1200 target with 58 donations.
‘Music in a pub? I see no reason not to like it’
So said our presenter Jon Jacob when talking about our very first pub event this September. And we agree – what could be better than listening to great live music in your local?
Our Night Shift series of events has been pushing the boundaries of classical concerts for a while, with late-night performances that get rid of some of the often rigid etiquette of classical performances. We’ve brought a different vibe to our Southbank Centre home and also explored venues including the Roundhouse and Village Underground, taking classical music to unexpected places.
But recently we decided to do something very different and down-size the event, taking it to a pub in Kings Cross. With just three players and an audience of about 200 this was truly intimate. And what’s more it worked – better than we could have ever imagined. We played two 30 minute sets with music by Purcell, JS Bach and Corelli, all introduced by our presenter and the players from the Orchestra. We got an incredible reaction from the audience, with one punter saying: ‘one of the best gigs I've been to in months!! 2 violins, 1 cello and a ton of people in a pub listening to baroque music played live. Totally surreal and brilliant.’
Now here’s the rub. We really want to do more of these events and have hatched a plan. A 5-date tour of London pubs, with performances in North, South, East, West and Central London. BUT, even with a sell-out crowd each event loses a little money, once the musicians, DJ, room hire and publicity have all been paid for - so we need YOUR help to make up the difference and to make them happen.
In return we’ve lined up an array of ‘thank you’s’, from a little tweet-love through to VIP evenings out. We hope you’d like to contribute and help more great classical gigs happen.
The last word belongs to the musicians:
“We’re always looking for new experiences and new ways of connecting with an audience, and last week's OAE pub Night Shift was a real musical highlight for me - no exaggeration.
The relaxed atmosphere, proximity of performers and audience, in fact a total freedom between the two resulting in high class banter/heckling, resulted in a musical emancipation and a level of communication that was extraordinary.
The evening was a celebration of the social in music and judging from our collective response it was a life-enhancing one!” Maggie Faultless, OAE violinist
(You will be charged a 3% credit card handling fee when purchasing a reward, which will only be taken if the projects succeeds in reaching its funding goal.)
The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment offered the following rewards to its funders:-
A thank you on Twitter and Facebook
£5.00
A postcard sent to you from an orchestra tour
£10.00
Just the great feeling of being an arts funder!
£10.00
A name-check from the presenter at a pub gig
£15.00
A pint with players from the Orchestra
£30.00
A print of a photograph of you at a Night Shift event
£40.00
Group hug from The Night Shift office team
£50.00
Pub deluxe- Q jump, reserved seating (where avail), pork pies and scratchings, a round of drinks, tickets (for two)
£100.00
VIP package at a Southbank Night Shift – reserved table, fizz, backstage access (for four)
£250.00
