The Night Shift
Encyclopedia
The Night Shift is the name given to a series of concerts run by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
. As a Resident Orchestra at the Southbank Centre, the first Night Shift took place on 22 May 2006 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
. Since then there have been fifteen further concerts at venues including the Queen Elizabeth Hall
, Royal Festival Hall
, The Roundhouse
and the Corn Exchange, Brighton Dome
.
The Night Shift aims to “present classical music in a new way to attract an audience that rarely or never attends classical music”. It is characterised by its lack of formalities traditionally associated with classical music and key features include the following:
Ticket prices are kept low, typically £8 in advance, £12 on the door and £4 for students. To date there have been over 7500 attendances at Night Shift events, with a peak audience of 1,200 at The Roundhouse
on 29 January 2010, where Vladimir Jurowski
conducted Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture and Symphony No. 7. The one-hour concert was presented by Alistair Appleton, accompanied by live video projections.
Other artists to have appeared at The Night Shift include Robin Ticciati
, Marin Alsop
, Rachel Podger
, Edward Gardner
, Christian Tetzlaff
, Eduardo Portal, Stephen Hough
and Yannick Nezet-Seguin
.
On the 13th August The Night Shift will be debuting at Wilton’s Music Hall in London’s East End, performing a programme of Handel
and Purcell
, played on seventeenth-century instruments, with a support show from Nathan ‘Flutebox’ Lee, the beatboxing
flute player.
In January 2010, independent research into The Night Shift was produced which revealed a number of trends. All Night Shift surveys showed a high proportion of 25-34 year olds, followed by 19-24 year olds and 35-44 year olds, with few attendees over the age of 45, and approximately 30-40% of ticket sales attributed to students.
Major motivating factors included competitive ticket pricing, informal atmosphere and the influence of friends. The research gave the following conclusion:
Another piece of independent research published in August 2010 highlighted the effectiveness of the use of embedded information in The Night Shift concert format. It found that the use of audience participation, verbal introductions, explanations from the stage and demonstrations of different ways of playing the same passage of music all helped create a more inclusive atmosphere and build a rapport with audience members, particularly those relatively unfamiliar with classical music.
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is a British period instrument orchestra. The OAE is a resident orchestra of the Southbank Centre, London, associate orchestra at Glyndebourne Festival Opera and has its headquarters at Kings Place...
. As a Resident Orchestra at the Southbank Centre, the first Night Shift took place on 22 May 2006 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival...
. Since then there have been fifteen further concerts at venues including the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival...
, Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
, The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is a Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England, which has been converted into a performing arts and concert venue. It was originally built in 1847 as a roundhouse , a circular building containing a railway turntable, but was only used for railway...
and the Corn Exchange, Brighton Dome
Brighton Dome
The Brighton Dome is an arts venue in Brighton, England that contains the Concert Hall, Corn Exchange and the Pavilion Theatre. All three venues are linked to the rest of the Royal Pavilion Estate by an underground tunnel to the Royal Pavilion in Pavilion Gardens and through shared corridors to...
.
The Night Shift aims to “present classical music in a new way to attract an audience that rarely or never attends classical music”. It is characterised by its lack of formalities traditionally associated with classical music and key features include the following:
- Pre and post concert entertainment such as DJs, FolkFolk musicFolk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and JazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
groups, VJVJA video jockey is an announcer who introduces and plays videos on commercial music television such as the United States' MTV, VH1, Fuse TV, non-commercial TVU, Canada's MuchMusic, and Asia's Channel V...
s and dance - Drinks promotions and drinks allowed in the concert hall,
- A relaxed atmosphere in the concert hall; the audience is encouraged to move, talk and clap as they wish.
- The concert is presented from the stage and includes interviews with performers and questions from the audience.
Ticket prices are kept low, typically £8 in advance, £12 on the door and £4 for students. To date there have been over 7500 attendances at Night Shift events, with a peak audience of 1,200 at The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is a Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England, which has been converted into a performing arts and concert venue. It was originally built in 1847 as a roundhouse , a circular building containing a railway turntable, but was only used for railway...
on 29 January 2010, where Vladimir Jurowski
Vladimir Jurowski
Vladimir Mikhailovich Jurowski is a Russian conductor. He is the son of conductor Mikhail Jurowski.Jurowski began his musical studies at the Moscow Conservatory...
conducted Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture and Symphony No. 7. The one-hour concert was presented by Alistair Appleton, accompanied by live video projections.
Other artists to have appeared at The Night Shift include Robin Ticciati
Robin Ticciati
Robin Ticciati is a British conductor of Italian ancestry. His paternal grandfather was a composer and arranger. His father is a barrister, and his mother is a therapist...
, Marin Alsop
Marin Alsop
Marin Alsop is an American conductor and violinist. She is the music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.In 2012, Alsop will replace Yan Pascal Tortelier as principal conductor of the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra....
, Rachel Podger
Rachel Podger
Rachel Podger is an English violinist specialising in the performance of baroque music. She often conducts baroque orchestras from the violin, and in 2004 took up a guest directorship with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, having previously been leader of The English Concert from 1997 to...
, Edward Gardner
Edward Gardner (conductor)
Edward Gardner is a British conductor.Gardner sang as a chorister at Gloucester Cathedral. As a youth, he played piano, clarinet and organ. He attended the King's School, Gloucester and Eton College. At the University of Cambridge, he continued as a music student, and was a choral scholar in...
, Christian Tetzlaff
Christian Tetzlaff
-Biography:Tetzlaff was born in Hamburg. He began playing the violin and piano at the age of 6, and made his concert debut at 14 years old. He studied with Uwe-Martin Haiberg at the Musikhochschule Lübeck and with Walter Levine at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.He is...
, Eduardo Portal, Stephen Hough
Stephen Hough
Stephen Andrew Gill Hough is a British-born classical pianist, composer and writer. He became an Australian citizen in 2005 and thus has dual nationality .-Biography:...
and Yannick Nezet-Seguin
Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Yannick Nézet-Séguin is a French Canadian conductor. He is Music Director Designate of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and will become Music Director in 2012.-Biography:...
.
On the 13th August The Night Shift will be debuting at Wilton’s Music Hall in London’s East End, performing a programme of Handel
HANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
and Purcell
Purcell
Henry Purcell was an English composer.Purcell may also refer to:*Purcell, Indiana, an unincorporated community in Johnson Township, Knox County, Indiana*Purcell, Missouri, a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States...
, played on seventeenth-century instruments, with a support show from Nathan ‘Flutebox’ Lee, the beatboxing
Beatboxing
Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. It may also involve singing, vocal imitation of turntablism, and the simulation of horns, strings, and other musical instruments...
flute player.
In January 2010, independent research into The Night Shift was produced which revealed a number of trends. All Night Shift surveys showed a high proportion of 25-34 year olds, followed by 19-24 year olds and 35-44 year olds, with few attendees over the age of 45, and approximately 30-40% of ticket sales attributed to students.
Major motivating factors included competitive ticket pricing, informal atmosphere and the influence of friends. The research gave the following conclusion:
In short, The Night Shift is cool. The Night Shift succeeds in reversing all negative preconceptions of live classical music concerts: in the course of an hour or so attendees moved from expectations that the experience will be expensive, formal, long, middle aged, proper, strict and stuffy to an understanding that it can be accessible, comfortable, inclusive, informal, laid back, relaxing, spontaneous and studenty. The OAE is doing a service to the entire sector.
Another piece of independent research published in August 2010 highlighted the effectiveness of the use of embedded information in The Night Shift concert format. It found that the use of audience participation, verbal introductions, explanations from the stage and demonstrations of different ways of playing the same passage of music all helped create a more inclusive atmosphere and build a rapport with audience members, particularly those relatively unfamiliar with classical music.