This year Bournemouth Pavilion, the town’s Grade II listed theatre, ballroom and cultural venue, will be celebrating its ninetieth anniversary.
It opened on Tuesday 19 March 1929. During March 2019 there will be a series of special anniversary events and activities for all.
On Sunday 10 March Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) will be delivering a Best of British Concert celebrating British music played around the time of the venue opening.
Conducted by Stephen Bell, the BSO will play Elgar’s Cockaigne Overture, performed at the very first Pavilion concert. Elgar described the music as “cheerful and Londony – ‘stout and steaky’”. More of London is evoked in Coates’ Knightsbridge March made famous as the theme tune for the BBC’s In Town Tonight. The concert also features a trip to the country for two bucolic idylls by Delius and Butterworth and a rumbustious suite of English folk dances by Malcolm Arnold.
Vaughan Williams’ scintillating overture to The Wasps will feature, and Walton provides the pageantry with his rousing coronation march, Crown Imperial, complete with stirring central maestoso tune and incidental music to Laurence Olivier’s film of Shakespeare’s Henry V. This concert will be presented by Classic FM’s John Brunnings.
On Thursday 14 March a lunchtime Compton Organ and Steinway Grand Piano performance features Byron Jones who will take us on a journey of musicals performed at the venue throughout its ninety year history. The Compton Organ has been a continuous musical thread at Bournemouth Pavilion throughout its ninety years. Played by Philip Dore for the opening in 1929, its claim to fame relies on Civic Organist, Percy Whitlock, who took over in 1932; now recognised as an important British Composer of the era, writing much organ music during his time at Bournemouth Pavilion. He also wrote light music for the Municipal Orchestra often under his pseudonym Kenneth Lark. A Heritage Plaque on the front of the venue acknowledges his residency at the venue.
On Saturday 16 March the venue will be opening its doors for a free-to-attend community open day. Guided backstage tours of the building will be available and 200 children from local schools will be performing a medley of songs from the 1920s to the present day. There will be performances from Pavilion Youth Theatre pupils and strolling theatrical performances from the Pavilion Adult Theatre group. The Compton Organ will be played throughout the day and copies of archive material, including photographs and show programmes, supported by the Cinema Theatre Association, will be displayed in the corridors.
On the evening of Tuesday 19 March there will be a special black and white screening of the Warner Bros. 1933 blockbuster hit 42nd Street. The musical show has been staged almost every decade at the Pavilion and this will be a unique opportunity to be part of an evening as it might have been in the 1930s. The Municipal Orchestra will re-create a 25 minute musical interlude prior to the Compton Organ rising to play nostalgic tunes, as it would have been seen regularly in the 1930s.
The celebrations conclude on Wednesday 20 March with a Gala Tea Dance in the ballroom with MC Michael Wooldridge, a performance from soprano Emily Matthews, and the Pavilion Ballroom Band.
“This is a superb showcase of anniversary events and activities for all which will create a snapshot of the era and mark Bournemouth Pavilion’s ninetieth year, says Pat Coyne, BH Live’s Director of Venues and Events.
“We will also be announcing some exciting plans to restore some of the original features and launch new ones. These will be in keeping with the venue’s heritage and also appeal to today’s customer needs.”
Councillor John Beesley, Leader, Bournemouth Borough Council commented “The Pavilion has been one of the most iconic landmarks in Bournemouth since it was built in 1929. It has hosted many big names in the world of entertainment over the years, and the events planned to commemorate the last 90 years are very fitting for the enduring legacy of this remarkable building.”
More information about events, including times and ticket prices, are available at bhlivetickets.co.uk.
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Notes to Editors:
For information about BH Live please contact:
Elizabeth Symmons, PR & Corporate Communications Executive
E: press.office@bhlive.org.uk
T: (01202) 055562
About BH Live
BH Live is the south coast’s leading operator of leisure and event venues; a social enterprise that designs and builds engaging experiences to inspire people and enrich lives. With more than five million visits a year and £42 million turnover we are changing lives and are at the heart of the UK’s growing social economy.
In 2017/18 we had 4.5 million leisure centre attendances, hosted more than 500 events and sold over half a million cultural, sporting and entertainment event tickets. We also welcomed 59,000 conference and exhibition delegates.
This generated an estimated £53 million in local economic benefit.
For more visit bhlive.org.uk
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About Bournemouth Pavilion
Bournemouth Pavilion is operated by BH Live in partnership with Bournemouth Borough Council.
This Grade II listed venue opened in March 1929. It has a 1,500-seat theatre and full-sized ballroom. The venue hosts musicals, opera, ballet, pantomime, comedy, gala dinners, banquets, receptions, fairs, dances and fashion shows throughout the year.
Its facilities complement events at Bournemouth International Centre and for corporate presentations, product launches, and smaller conferences and exhibitions.
Bournemouth Pavilion is also home to Pavilion Dance South West and the Pavilion at AUB rehearsal and teaching space for the Arts University Bournemouth.
For more visit bournemouthpavilion.co.uk
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About BH Live Tickets
BH Live Tickets sells over half a million cultural, sporting and entertainment tickets a year for venues including Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth Pavilion, Portsmouth Pyramids and Fairfield Halls in Croydon. It also sells tickets for events across the south coast including music and sport festivals.
- Buy tickets online at co.uk
- Buy tickets by phone 0844 576 3000
- By from box offices at Bournemouth International Centre and Bournemouth Pavilion.
For call charges, opening times and more visit bhlivetickets.co.uk
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