Visit London Blog » events http://blog.visitlondon.com Enjoy the very best of London Fri, 24 May 2013 14:17:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 London Video of the Week: London’s Next Big Thing http://blog.visitlondon.com/2013/03/london-video-of-the-week-londons-next-big-thing/ http://blog.visitlondon.com/2013/03/london-video-of-the-week-londons-next-big-thing/#comments Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:23:35 +0000 Hannah Collingbourne http://blog.visitlondon.com/?p=32333

If you were inspired by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, here’s a video to remind you of all the excitement. But it doesn’t end here – there’s a host of fantastic new major events coming up at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and across the capital. Find out more at visitlondon.com/events.

]]> http://blog.visitlondon.com/2013/03/london-video-of-the-week-londons-next-big-thing/feed/ 2 The Brilliant and the Dark at The Women’s Library http://blog.visitlondon.com/2010/09/the-brilliant-and-the-dark-at-the-womens-library/ http://blog.visitlondon.com/2010/09/the-brilliant-and-the-dark-at-the-womens-library/#comments Sat, 25 Sep 2010 09:00:32 +0000 Kate Stanworth http://blog.visitlondon.com/?p=14982 Images from the original performance at the Royal Albert Hall Ellen Southern and singers Ellen Southern and singers Female choir, Gaggle, performing The Brilliant and the Dark Female choir, Gaggle, performing The Brilliant and the Dark Female choir, Gaggle, performing The Brilliant and the Dark Female choir, Gaggle, performing The Brilliant and the Dark The audience at The Women's Library Audience members on the balcony of The Women's Library

On Thursday night I went to The Women’s Library in East London to see an incredible performance of The Brilliant and the Dark, a vocal composition originally performed at the Royal Albert Hall in 1969.

The piece, which tells stories from women’s history through the eyes of war workers, crusaders’ wives and witch hunters, was re-interpreted by female choir, Gaggle. It was preceded by a hushed and intimate arrangement lead by vocalist Ellen Southern.

I spoke to Ben White, who had initiated the project together with fellow artist Eileen Simpson.

“It started when we were invited to take part in an exhibition at the Library called Out of the Archives,” he said. “We found the piece in the library’s collection and we united with Gaggle to re-enact it. The costumes were created based on photographs of the original performance.”

Ben and Eileen are the founders of Open Music Archive, a project which aims to source and distribute out-of-copyright music.

In order to use and remix elements from The Brilliant and the Dark however, the duo had to negotiate with the copyright owners. They created a video of the remixed piece with the choir, which they exhibited in the exhibition. But for the live event they wanted to re-interpret the piece again.

“The idea is that it is different each time,” said Ben. “It is never fixed or finished.”

Out of the Archives runs until the 2nd October 2010 at The Women’s Library

]]> http://blog.visitlondon.com/2010/09/the-brilliant-and-the-dark-at-the-womens-library/feed/ 0 Video of the Week: London Wetland Centre by Cazzyweb http://blog.visitlondon.com/2010/05/video-of-the-week-london-wetland-centre-by-cazzyweb/ http://blog.visitlondon.com/2010/05/video-of-the-week-london-wetland-centre-by-cazzyweb/#comments Fri, 28 May 2010 11:00:01 +0000 Zoe Craig http://blog.visitlondon.com/?p=9497

Tomorrow is the start of the London Wetland Centre’s 10th anniversary celebrations.

And what better way to mark the occasion than with this great video by Cazzyweb of her day out at the centre in Barnes.

Pop down to the Wetland Centre during the birthday week (29 May-6 Jun) and you’ll find lots going on. 

Gyles Brandreth, who lives near the Wetland Centre and is a keen supporter, is cutting the birthday cake on Saturday at 12.00 to launch the celebrations. If you’re around on the day, you’ll be invited to join in the opening celebrations at noon, and receive a free piece of the wetland-themed cake!

Or take your pick from the following over the week:

  • Birds of prey
  • Mammal and moth safari (see the moths, shrews, mice and voles that live on the reserve)
  • Newts, froglets, toads and slow worms 
  • Bats and hedgehogs 
  • Otters

Check wwt.org.uk/visit-us/london/events for details of which events are happening each day.

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