Thursday 29 January 2009

University of Greenwich Big Band Concert

UNIVERSITY OF GREENWICH BIG BAND
HISTORY OF GREENWICH & BIG BAND MUSIC CONCERT

The University of Greenwich Big Band is performing a Concert at the Greenwich campus (old Royal Naval College) on Monday 16th March - 8 p.m. with a theme of the History of Greenwich and Big Band Music.

The organiser, Fred Pareett has had some help from Mary Mills in putting together some if illustrations for the presentation part of this concert, and thought that the members of the GIHS might be interested in attending this concert. There is no admission charge, but seating in the lecture theatre is limited, so admission is by ticket only. There are only a small number set aside that can be held for GIHS members.

You may well ask what Big Band Music has to do with the History of Greenwich - perhaps not a lot ! However, this will be the fourth concert of this type we have performed. In fact, the industrial history of Greenwich covers a similar period to the development of Jazz and Big Band music from the days of the slave music in America. The previous concerts in this "multimedia" format covered the Centenary of Avery Hill College (now a part of the University) , the history of Chatham and the Dockyards, and the "Roaring Twenties". All of these events were completely oversubscribed, with a waiting list for tickets.

In June 1933 the Royal Naval College was the location of the Greenwich Pageant, a musical event devised by the historian Arthur Bryant, to depict the history of Greenwich. It was performed by local people, the military, and supported by an orchestra and military band. This event is not on quite such a grand scale, but it will be somthing quite unique.

Members of the GIHS interested in tickets, please contact Fred (contact details below) mentioning they are part of the GIHS.

Fred Parrett
Manager, University Big Band Group
http://www.gre.ac.uk/bigband
020-8460-2116

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