Music festival a cocktail of pop, dance and opera

Jul 21 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

SOUTHPORT’S music festival is hotting up, with charismatic conductor Vasily Petrenko sharing top billing with chart-topping pop acts.

This year’s Southport Summer Classics – Music In The Park offers classical music, dance, opera and pop over two evenings next weekend. july25

Friday sees the big-voiced Heather Small take to the stage in Victoria Park with her dance band, M People, with Liverpool group The Christians as guests.

On Saturday, July 26, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Petrenko, will play a varied programme of music. Soloist Natasha Marsh will also perform.

Ahead of the RLPO concert, young people from across Sefton will perform opera Itoko – first sang at Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral earlier this year – featuring hundreds of young people from primary and sec- ondary schools in the borough.

Peter Sandman, Sefton Council’s events manager, says: "We are delighted to have such a varied line-up of acts for this year's Summer Classics.

"It is great news that we have been able to attract M People Live to the event, as well as well-known Liverpool band The Christians. I'm sure that the Friday event will be very popular.

"The RLPO always attract plenty of people to the event and it will be fantastic to see youngsters from across the borough perform the exceptional opera, Itoku. The Summer Classics is one of many amazing events taking place in Sefton throughout the year and there is even more to come after the Open Golf Championship such as the Southport Airshow and the British Musical Fireworks Championships."

TICKETS for M People Live on Friday, July 25, cost £25 or £22 for groups of 12 or more booking in advance; advanced tickets for RLPO on Saturday, July 26 are £20 for adults, £13 for aged five to 16, under fives go free. Gate ticket prices are £22 for adults and £15 for ages five to 16, while advanced rates for groups of 12 or more are £17 for adults and £13 for ages five to 16.

Call 01704 540011 or see www.visitsouthport.com/summer-classics