Orchestral musicians and singers will join forces on June 1 at The Bridgewater Hall in support for the families of those killed and injured in the Manchester Arena attack last Monday.
The evening concert will include musical performances from the Hallé, BBC Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata, along with appearances from Clare Teal, Alice Coote and Guy Garvey.
John Summers, the chief executive of the Hallé, told MM: “Music is something that binds us together.
“What really struck me about what’s happened is that the city is incredibly resilient. It’s almost as if the people of Manchester were saying ‘you can’t cower us.’
“It’s amazing that people are not scared or frightened – it’s business as usual.”
The choice of musical pieces will be uplifting and warm with more than 100 musicians performing on stage, all of whom live and work in Manchester.
The Hallé, directed by Sir Mark Elder and praised for its artistic excellence, ranks among the UK’s top symphonic ensembles as it heads into its 159th season this year.
We unite with @BBCPhilharmonic @MancCamerata @Guy_Garvey @clareteal @AliceCoote on Thu 1 June for #WeStandTogether https://t.co/FM9fFgzOAJ
— Hallé Orchestra (@the_halle) 26 May 2017
BBC Philharmonic, based at MediaCityUK in Salford, performs and records concerts for Radio 3 while Manchester Camerata pushes the adventurous boundaries of classical music with the spirit of the city running through its vein.
Teal’s ‘Don’t Talk’ album released in 2004 topped the Jazz charts and entered the UK Top 20, while Coote is a world renowned mezzo-soprano singer and Garvey has been the lead singer and songwriter of the rock band Elbow for twenty years.
Mr Summers said: “We took our leave from the city – if you stop doing what you’re doing then you’re giving into this kind of horrible act.
“What we’re trying to show is the resilience of Manchester and the resilience of its people.”
Walking through Manchester early this morning I’ve never know such a sense of calm unity. This is what makes the City great @PetrocTrelawny
— John Summers (@Hallesum) 23 May 2017
The concert was organised in short notice, but will not be short of musical talent or a heart-warming atmosphere.
All services at the event are performed for free, however people are welcome to make a donation to WeStandTogetherManchester Justgiving page which aims to collect £2 million for families affected by the arena attack.
The Bridgewater Hall has waived its usual ticket charge, but you will need a ticket to gain entry to the building.
Visit www.halle.co.uk/westandtogether or contact the box office on 0161 907 9000 for more information.
Image courtesy of MediaFour via YouTube, with thanks.
