We came, we sang, we made music… all day long!
The UK celebrated Make Music Day in style with over 500 free performances up and down the country, from the Isle of Wight to the Isle of Lewis and everywhere in between! On 21 June, events took place in every kind of location including train stations, shopping centres, pubs, libraries, music shops, hospitals, schools, parks and dales. The UK joined over 120 countries worldwide for this free celebration of music. Well done to everyone and thank you for all your support!
Highlights
Highlights over the day included a brass band parade across London Bridge with Kinetika Bloco to celebrate New Orleans 300th anniversary, Watford’s Cassiobury Park coming to life with Electric Umbrella, singing on top of Edinburgh’s Waverley shopping mall, performances all across Norfolk in libraries, hospitals and schools with Norfolk Music Hub, and a steel band performance outside the British Library to commemorate the Windrush anniversary in partnership with the Gospel Music Industries Association.
Social Media highlights
Check out some highlights on social media:
Other favourites
Other favourites were also the Dawn Chorus in Whitby singing in the sun at 4.30am, folk music on the train in Bristol and Ivories and Strings collaboration with The Moonbeams to live stream a number of string compositions from rural Yorkshire in partnership with NYMAZ. But there’s too many to count – all events were brilliant in so many ways.
International day of music
As well as events in the UK, Make Music Day was celebrated around the world in 120 countries! Here are some of the most exciting things we could find:
China
Read about the events going on in far east cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou here
(Property of www.faguowenhua.com)
USA
Make Music Day events took place in over 20 US states.
See a summary of some New York celebrations here including a spectacular event at the 9/11 memorial.
(Gabriella Angotti-Jones/The New York Times)
Nigeria
Having only started celebrating in 2016, Make Music Day in Nigeria has rapidly progressed. Find out more about the workshops and performances that went on, in addition to the headline concert featuring Afolabi and Boomsha! here
(Property of @dotun_abu and Make Music Lagos)
France
As Make Music Day originated in France (it’s called Fête de la Musique there) it has some of the biggest events.
There were a number of events on the day including street parties and concerts but one of the most interesting is just below.
Read about how the French president’s Courtyard was turned into a dancefloor here
(AFP PHOTO / POOL / Christophe Petit Tesson)
More music making!
Don’t Stop the Music Making! If Make Music Day has inspired you and you’d like get more involved in music making, check out our suggestions for joining a group, finding an instrumental teacher or just discovering more live music. More info.
We are already working towards 2019’s Make Music Day and want YOU to get involve. If you’d like to get more involved contact UK project manager Alison Porter here or join our mailing list here to receive updates.
