Not all Orchestras Are the Same.

The Night Shift, a night of classical music "without the rules" has been happening in London since 2006 and I've been to quite a few. Back in my student days I went along as it was inexpensive, accessible and ahem, you got a free beer. I went for the music, honest. Now my student days are all but a distant memory however, The Night Shift is still going strong and, by all accounts, gaining momentum.
In terms of the classical music concert genre, The Night Shift has to be one of the most innovative events on the scene. I'm not saying that I know a lot about the scene but I do know that you don't get a lot of classical music performed in pubs or if you do, it's unlikely to be played by totes profesh musician types who are used to playing such prestigious venues as The Royal Festival Hall and Glyndebourne.
The Orchestra of the Age of Englightenment or, the OAE for short, has the motto "not all orchestras are the same" and I would venture that this orchestra stands above most others. The OAE has many things to make it stand out from other orchestras and it's worth finding out why. The Night Shift is a great example of what makes the OAE unique and the most recent Night Shift last night was no exception.
The idea of the Night Shift is late night performances that that don't have the often formal etiquette of the classical concert hall. They are presented by erudite characters who act as the voice of the audience in asking questions and providing insight. Before and after the main event (which tends to be comparatively shorter than other concerts) there are often support acts and DJs to promote the casual atmosphere. Previous events brought a new vibe to the Southbank Centre and other venues have included The Roundhouse and Village Underground and my personal favourite, Wilton's Music Hall.
So it was that last September, the Night Shift took this informal approach to classical music one step further with a scaled down orchestra (scaled right down to a trio!) playing to an audience of just 200 in a pub. The success of the event sparked an idea, to take the event on a pub tour. However, as with many arts organisations funding was a struggle and so they took to the effective initiative of crowd funding through an organisation called We Did This. Watch the video to see how it works.

WeDidThis: art for everyone, funded by everyone from WeDidThis on Vimeo.

In a nutshell it's a nifty form of arts fundraising where you donate to projects and your donation sees you get a reward. That is as long as the project reaches its funding target. It's quite an interesting scheme and it was thanks to this funding scheme and donations from OAE Friends and supporters that The Night Shift were able to tour the pubs of London Town.
The first of five pub tour gigs took place last night at The George Tavern on Commercial Road, conveniently just around the corner from my flat. It is a great pub and a fantastic venue with a great reputation for performances in the East End. It was a great night. A cosy, candlelit pub the perfect setting for some Purcell and what lovely Purcell it was. I used to hate Purcell but this evening had me converted thanks to three players in a pub with some really interesting snippets about the composer and the music from the players. It was a great evening that certainly exceeded my expectations. A particular highlight was singing some excellent drinking songs,  you don't get THAT at any classical concert I've been to. There certainly was a real intimacy to the gig and the audience seemed to enjoy the humour and the informality of the event to really connect with the players and of course with the music.
Tonight they go to the Amersham Arms  in New Cross, I love that a pub that has a weekly student night called "Whip It" is playing host to The Night Shift. There are stil three more gigs to go, so get your tickets! You won't regret it, even though I'm not a student anymore, it's still a bargain.
Classical music in Pubs, it's a thing. Oh, and if you like The Night Shift, you should check out The Works. If you still need convincing watch the trailer below. If after that you're not convinced, you should go and get yourself checked.

The Night Shift Pub Tour Trailer from OAE on Vimeo.