Young Singers Join Viva For Annual Gala Adventure
Young people from Derby’s Big Adventures Youth Theatre Company will share the stage with celebrated regional orchestra Sinfonia Viva at the annual New Year’s Eve Gala Concert at Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall.
Big Adventures have previously performed alongside Viva at the annual Darley Park concert and will join the Orchestra in Nottingham on Thursday December 31 for a programme full of Hollywood and Broadway glamour.
A 20-strong choir made up of young people aged 12 to 18 will perform a selection of seminal vocal smash hits.
These include Harry Warren’s emblematic title song Lullaby of Broadway from the Doris Day 1951 film musical of the same name plus Cole Porter's fabulous Another Op'nin', Another Show - the timeless tune from the massive 1948 hit Broadway musical Kiss Me, Kate.
There is also the punchy There’s No Business Like Show Business, made popular by Ethel Merman’s defining rendition in the 1950 film version of Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun.
Big Adventure Youth Theatre Company Director David Culling said: “We are delighted to return to the stage with Sinfonia Viva and to make our debut at the Gala Concert in Nottingham.
“These are some big choral numbers and it is a feather in our cap to be invited to perform again alongside Sinfonia Viva.
“I know that the New Year’s Eve concert is very popular with audiences and the singers’ experience in front 35,000 people at Darley Park this year will hold everyone in good stead for this performance.
“Preparation is the key and we will be rehearsing hard to ensure that this is a memorable night both for the performers and the audience alike.”
The early evening concert will transport the audience to the red carpet world of box-office smash musicals, all-time favourite movie themes and classic film songs.
From iconic film classics including the Oscar-winning soundtrack title music by John Williams’ Schindler's List to the magnificence of Richard Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001: A Space Odyssey) the Gala Concert will be a veritable hit parade of songs and tunes that made history on the big screen and on stage.
The rich back-catalogue of music in the programme reads like a 'who's who' of stage and screen triumphs.
These include George and Ira Gershwin’s fabulous Strike Up The Band overture from their hugely popular anti-war, musical and music from Oliver Stone's grittily poignant Academy Award winning 1986 movie Platoon.
The laid-back, ascending slide on clarinet introduces Gershwin's jazz-classical 'fusion' Rhapsody in Blue. This legendary work featured in movies including Woody Allen's Manhattan and the 2013 remake of The Great Gatsby, plus countless television adverts.
After the interval, Viva will perform Addinsell's mighty Warsaw Concerto from the 1941 box-office hit Dangerous Moonlight.
The programme finishes with a selection of popular, end-of-year, celebratory music including Suppe’s delightful operatic sensation the Light Cavalry Overture as well as three further ‘hits’ from ‘Waltz King’ Johann Strauss II – the elegant Emperor Waltz, the overture from his massively-lauded comic operetta The Gypsy Baron, and the whirlwind musical roustabout that is the Thunder and Lightning Polka.
Principal Guest Conductor Nicholas Kok will make a welcome return and will be joined by Pianist Ian Buckle.
Nicholas Kok introduces each piece and is fondly known by regular concert goers as ‘Mr New Year’s Eve’.
He said: “We are delighted to have Big Adventures Youth Theatre Company joining us on stage to bring some extra sparkle to the evening.
“There was tremendous feedback from the players and the audience alike to their performance at Darley Park in September and I know that they will do a fantastic job with these numbers.”
With the popular 6pm start and 8.15pm finish there is then plenty of time for the audience to continue the celebrations and see in the New Year.
Tickets start from just £15 and the popular Premium Seats are again available which includes a free programme available on the night. Tickets are on sale now from the Royal Centre Box Office, Tel 0115 989 5555 or online at www.trch.co.uk .
Sinfonia Viva is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. For more information about the New Year’s Eve concert and all of Viva’s other performances in Nottingham and across the East Midlands, visit the website, www.vivaorch.co.uk