Unique musical celebrations across the region.
BBC Music has announced the full line up of events for BBC Music Day 2016 in the West Midlands on Friday 3rd June. BBC Music Day is a UK wide annual celebration of music that aims to unite communities across different generations.
Gospel Queen Ruby Turner and a choral Flash Mob will delight commuters with a special performance to launch BBC Music Day at Birmingham’s New Street Station on Friday 3rd June. The event will be live on BBC Radio 2 at 9.45am.
The choral spectacular will kick off Birmingham’s BBC Music Day celebrations which will see a host of unique and surprising musical happenings taking place around the city.
Ruby will lead a 30-strong gospel choir and band at Birmingham’s busy station courtesy of the flagship BBC music programme, Songs of Praise. The pop up performance will entertain commuters from 9.45am launching BBC Music Day in the Midlands, which is back bigger and better than ever before.
Solihull based Ruby will be joined by the Birmingham Town Hall Gospel Choir, winners of the very first Songs of Praise Gospel Choir of The Year Competition as they perform a rousing rendition of the gospel classic This Train amongst other favourites. The whole station will be ‘on board’ with even the tannoy announcements marking this special event. For those not able to watch the performance live, a special edition of Songs of Praise will relive the moment on Sunday 5th June on BBC One.
Ruby Turner said: “I am thrilled to be flying the flag for Birmingham as the BBC brings the whole nation together on BBC Music Day to celebrate the simple joy of singing and making music.”
The BBC’s Tommy Nagra, Head of Television, Religion and Ethics adds: “Songs of Praise is a fantastic celebration of music and worship. It’s a fitting start to BBC Music Day to have the gospel tradition represented by Ruby and this inspirational choir in the vibrant and diverse city of Birmingham. It promises to be a joyful and spine-tingling performance.”
BBC Asian Network have arranged for British Asian singer Jay Kadn to perform live in the main atrium of New Street station and multi-cultural dance troupe DesiNach will perform a captivating dance routine to a mash up of Bollywood and Urban Music. These performances will be broadcast live on Noreen Khan’s show from 1.30pm on the BBC Asian Network.
BBC WM’s Richie Anderson will bring his afternoon show live from Love Lock Bridge at the Mailbox from 2pm where they will broadcast live performances from Birmingham singer songwriter Guy jones, the city’s Homeless Choir, the Azaad Dhol Drummers and a special solo performance from Ocean Colour Scene’s Simon Fowler.
Down south, a selection of BBC Coventry & Warwickshire’s BBC Introducing artists will be performing live acoustic sets on the stunning Bidford-on-Avon Bridge which was partially destroyed last year when a JCB crashed into it. BBC Coventry & Warwickshire will broadcast the performances live during their mid-morning show from 9am with Vic Minett.
Over in Telford, BBC Radio Shropshire’s BBC Introducing duo Cooper and Davies will be strumming their guitars on the world’s first Iron Bridge. Fans of the band can catch their sounds on BBC Radio Shropshire’s mid-morning show with Jim Hawkins from 11am.
BBC Hereford & Worcester will be broadcasting live all day from the Sabrina Bridge where award winning classical violinist Shular Oliver will be performing. There will also be performances from a 20-strong rock choir alongside local artist Megan Bradley.
And in Stafford, BBC Radio Stoke has arranged for an array of local bands and artists to perform on the bandstand next to Victoria Bridge in Victoria Park from 10am until 2pm. Acts include Leek-based community choir Phoenix Singers, Heidi Browne and Sam Hollyman, the Biddulph Ukelele Group and Knotaani African Drummers.
Finally, bells from over 90 church towers will ring out simultaneously at 7pm on BBC Music Day in a unifying moment of celebration. Towns, cities and villages across the West Midlands are taking part including the Birmingham Cathedral, St Laurence’s Church in Northfield, All Saints Church in Sandon, Staffordshire, St john-in-Bedwardine Church in Worcester, Worcester Cathedral and St James Church in Alveston, Stratford-upon-Avon.
David Jennings, Head of Regional and Local Programming for BBC West Midlands, said: “The West Midlands really is flying the flag for BBC Music Day this year. It’s great to see the region getting involved and supporting what is set to be a momentous day. From Ruby Turner’s pop-up concert at Birmingham New Street station to performances on iconic bridges across the region– there really is something for everyone.”
BBC Music Day is returning for its second year, celebrating all types of music from around the UK and the Channel Islands. Bringing live music to people through an exciting range of events around the theme of collaboration, it aims to unite communities across different generations. BBC Music Day will feature broadcasts across BBC TV, Radio and digital services from 6am to midnight.
For more information about BBC Music Day, a wider UK events list and how to get involved, please visit www.bbc.co.uk/musicday.