Philharmonia Orchestra to perform all over Bedford - including the Barley Mow and the bus station

Over three days in March, the Philharmonia Orchestra will bring pop-up performances and installations to audiences all over Bedford.

Quintets and trios of Philharmonia players will take music outside of the concert hall, as they meet audiences in a series of locations in both Bedford and Kempston.

The free events takes place on Friday (March 1), Saturday and the following Saturday (March 9). There will be accompanying VR (virtual reality) activity on Friday and March 9.

On Friday, there will be a day of informal performances at the Harpur Centre. Five Philharmonia musicians present short performances throughout the day. They will perform popular pieces, and there will be the opportunity for audiences to get involved in the music-making. Audiences can also try the Philharmonia’s immersive VR installation – put on a headset and experience what it’s like to sit in the middle of a world class orchestra.

On Saturday (March 2), the Philharmonia will present Music in Unexpected Places. The venues are The Higgins Bedford, Bedford Central Library, Kempston Library, Damiano Hair, the Barley Mow pub, The Standard pub, Samsons Academy Gym, Bedford bus station and Queen’s Park Family Hub

On the final day on Saturday, March 9, a group of Philharmonia musicians will present an interactive session at St Paul’s Church. The musicians will take a deep dive into Beethoven’s Symphony No 5, which the orchestra will then perform the following Tuesday (March 12) at Bedford Corn Exchange.

This project has received £20,000 from the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.