So tonight the biggest free show in Bath returns: Party in the City. As part of the Bath Music International festival, the evening is a cacophony of music, dance and pure entertainment.
It’s a night which celebrates the great music scene in Bath, and with over 100 local acts taking part, you will be hard-pushed to find something that isn’t to your taste. Boasting an eclectic range of folk, rock, classical, jazz, acoustic, swing and soul music in a variety of atmospheric venues, the festival is free for all; it’s only focus being the celebration of music.
Following on the back of last year’s success, Party in the City returns, and this year it’s theme is Monsters. A large and colorful parade kicks off the festival, starting at 5:30pm at Brunel Square.
Made up of dancers, singers and musicians, the parade will move from the square, through Southgate shopping centre, and will finally rest outside Bath Abbey, where a large scale performance following the theme of Monsters will take place. This performance features new music that has been created for the event by the award-winning composer Stephen Deazley.
The parade itself will be made up of students, professional musicians and children, and it will include music and performance from hundreds of participants. In all cases, the opening of the ceremony is not to be missed, as it promises to be a fun, joyful event that illustrates the talent and vitality of the city’s creative scene.
Following on from this opening celebration, the festival will spread out, with events and performances happening in numerous different locations. Of these events, some notable mentions must be made:
- Starting at 6:30pm in the Assembly Rooms a Scrap Rap Opera, based around the theme of Pride and Prejudice will be performed as part of the Ilford Art’s Education Outreach Programme. Comprising of 100 children and 15 young carers, the opera will be led by the performance poet Andy Craven-Griffiths.
- At 9:30pm, the Bath Spa University Choir will take the stage at the Abbey, performing a programme that includes compositions from Taverner, Mawby and Stanford.
- At 7:30pm at the Central United Reformed Church, the nationally renowned choir The Jane Lilley Singers takes the stage to perform a wide range of musical genres, in celebration of their 40th anniversary. One of the most well-known and respected choirs in the country, this is a great opportunity to see the pros at work!
- There are also great opportunities to see the talent Bath’s youth has to offer. At both Bath Abbey and St. Michael’s Without, you can listen to a fantastic host of young voices, with Bath Abbey’s youngest choir taking the stage at 7pm, and Chloe and Izzy, two singer-songwriter sisters performing at St. Michael’s Without at 6:30pm.
If none of these events are up your street, you could also head down to Bath Rugby Club and see a range of local bands including Dudlow Joe and Plucky Purcell perform. Playing a mix of rhythm and blues, these bands will have you up and dancing in no time. If blues isn’t your scene, then head to Flan O’Briens for heavy guitar riffs, Hall and Woodhouse for singer-songwriter warbling, and Jika Jika for soul and hip hop.
More events are also happening at a host of other great nightlife spots. Be sure to check out Komedia, The Pump Room, Green Park Station, Gascoyne Place and The Tramshed and see what they have to offer.
As well as such an amazing array of musical events, the city will be lit up by IlluminateBath and Enlightened Lighting. Doing what they do best, the two teams will help the whole event along by creating a variety of special visuals that will be projected onto Pulteney Bridge.
The festival itself spans from 6:30 to 10:00pm, when the whole thing is brought to an end by a fantastic Firework demonstration supported by The Roper Family Charitable Trust. All in all, if you’re free tomorrow evening, make it down to the city centre and get ready for a damn good night, free of charge.
To find out more, visit the website: http://bathfestivals.org.uk/music/event/party-in-the-city/
Our thanks to Jenny May Lee for this feature.