St Georges Day Celebrations

15-16 April 2007

The celebrations began as the orchestra came together with a locally-recruited choir and 25 snare drummers in a procession around Newcastle. The procession started at 2:30pm next to Haymarket Metro station. Drummers lead the procession down Northumberland Street to Grey’s Monument then on to the Grainger Market, then the Bigg Market and ending at the Theatre Royal. Performers were ‘dropped-off’ along the way to entertain in a number of locations throughout the afternoon.












The orchestra perfomed on Sunday, a day later at Saltwell Park, in a performance called as 'Before the Wolf by La Banda Europa'. Musicians who performed include Pascal Lefeuvre, considered the best hurdy gurdy player in the world, trombonist John Kenny, ranked in the world top 10 by the Observer magazine, Ditte Anderson, the foremost player and authority on the nyckelharpa, and bass clarinettist Dick Lea, a multi award-winning composer and a past Creative Scotland awardee.









Overall, the weekend celebration was a very watchful and entertaining event. I hope you will like these pictures